I don't think it's any secret that NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman isn't exactly anyone's favourite person among the NHL fanbases. While the NHL has seen growth over the last number of years, the league has not been growing at the same rate as the other major sports leagues, including the NBA, NFL and MLB. That will probably never change with Bettman at the helm.
Bettman is the man responsible for imposing a hard salary cap on the NHL, which has basically ended the days of the dynasty teams. The league's most lucrative markets are no longer able to spend to the nines to build powerhouses and are instead forced to prop up struggling markets in the Southern United States. Not only has Bettman created a lot of forced parity, but he has also shown resistance to change in important areas relating to safety and even diversity. However, Bettman's latest blunder might be the biggest of his career.
According to Daily Faceoff, ESPN is working on a partnership deal with three major sports organizations in the NBA, NFL and MLB that would allow them to own equity in the company. This deal is an absolute gamechanger.
There's no question that Bettman has worn out his welcome with the NHL's fanbases a long time ago. Unfortunately, the owners are the ones who have the power to do something about it and they don't seem in any real rush to rid themselves of Gary Bettman, which is unfortunate, because even though they're profiting with Bettman in charge, he's actually costing them money in the grand scheme of things.
