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1) Misconception: People he believe that he put teams in the deep south Fact: John Ziegler announced Florida, Tampa, San Jose, and Anaheim and was President when Green announced the North Stars were moving 2) Misconception: People believe that he orchestrated the change from historical division names to geographic division names Fact: After numerous complaints from sportscasters (almost all of them Canadian), John Ziegler ordered an examination of the Conference and Division names in 1990. Using polls from season ticket holders at all 21 teams and the Hockey News, players and fans alike voted for the geographic names. The change was announced at the 1993 All-Star game by Gil Stein, who also showed off the new 'East' and 'West' jerseys for the 1994 All-Star Game 3) Misconception: People are upset because he locked out the players....twice Fact: The owners control Bettman. The reason Bettman was hired was because he was one of only two candidates who would agree to lock out the players if it came to that. For example, if you were in the running for the job, and you answered all the questions right, and then the last question ("Will you lock out the players?" and you said 'no'. You would no longer be considered. 4) Misconception: Bettman's the reason the NHL is not on ESPN Fact: The NHL was on ESPN from 1998 through 2004 under Bettman's watch, and he gave the owners the ESPN proposal first. Since ESPN only wanted to pay $18MM a year to the league, the owners voted 30-0 against it. Bettman's unfortunate in the sense that he's been the Commissioner in the 'Internet' era where you can read what anybody says anytime. JOhn Ziegler was bashed regularly while he was President....a listen to any Canadian radio station call-in show would tell you that. Red Fisher in Montreal Gazette and Frank Orr of the Toronto Star were extremely hard on Ziegler. The difference was they had smaller audiences (seriously, how many of you ran to your local library to read the Toronto and Montreal papers in 1985?) than any writer/blogger has now. He's not a likeable person...he's a lawyer, and he has absolutely no hockey background...unlike Ziegler who had season's tickets to Red Wings games (mind you, he was also the Red Wings lawyer from 1961 through 1977 as well). BUt he's made the lwague a stronger business and a stronger brand.

Leave it to Carman to interject Crosby into something that is TOTALLY NOT ABOUT HIM AT ALL.

Filppula was an important part of a Stanley Cup win, plays hard every game, and is a good two-way player. Leino played himself off the team. That's the way the cookie crumbled.

Congrats to Laviolette and his pro-Leino system. I'll take Babcock's pro-Cup winning system. Thanks.

You'd rather a player with zero NHL experience play than Flip right now? Seriously? He's in a slump, not mortally wounded.

I'm pretty sure Franzen having 1 goal in his past 18 games is a pretty good measure that he is incompetent. Even when he is scoring goals he doesn't do anything to generate sustained offense. He has an insane awesome shot, but that is literally his one and only talent (in short, pretty much the anti-Filppula). If he isn't shooting the puck, he may as well not be on the ice.

I wouldn't mind if the NFL decides to do a lockout next season on 2 counts. 1. Could be good for Hockey 2. NFL games always mess up my tv shows by making them late to come on or not airing at all.

Oooh an empty guarantee from someone who has no true impact or sense of the control on the situation, sure sounds promising. Flippula has never even scored at over a 55 point pace proated for an entire season, and he has gotten top 6 minutes for more than a season now. The fact that you are calling Franzen an incompetent forward but not Filppula is laughable. Face it, Filppula is simply not as good as you think he is. He is a decent (and I say decent, not exemplerary) two way player with MAYBE 55 point potential over a full season. There is a reason why he rarely plays PK or a shutdown role, and he rarely shows this top tier offesnive skill you claim. I can vividly remember at least 4 goals this season where FIlppula got awarded a goal purley by accident (including two in one game where Franzen bounched it off him on purpose/Filppula lost the puck and accidentally slid it in between the goalies legs). Get off this dude's nuts and realize hes a good 2nd-3rd line tweener, and nothing more. Because ZDC said he wasn't man and everything he says is true. Just look at how many 70 point seasons Filppula has had recently. Come on man, get with it.

That's a 90% fail rate. You *may* want to re-evaluate.

And leave it be, you as a Leino slappy, to be one of the first in here being the exact opposite of the extreme preparing to call people out. Just because you are on the 100% opposite side of the haters doesn't make your response any more right. He stunk here, bottom line. Your defending of him is not going to change anybody's opinions regarding that. He's doing better in Philadelphia and in a better state of mind there mentally. More power to him and I'm glad he's finding success. Leave it at that.

Because it is an investment company. They are in the business of making investments and then selling them for more than the initial investment. They need to seel at some point in time to monetize their investment.

You make it sound like he is the first hockey play ever to be miscast in his role and that somehow absolves him of his lack of effort and bad attitude.

Continual record profits, climbing TV ratings, and a salary cap that keeps on rising. Easy extension decision. I love how people put the versus deal on Bettman, you do know they offered the most money right? You also know the suspensions given to Lidstrom and Dastyuk were a unanimous decision agreed upon by every GM, including our own? Every sport also has teams who lose money, even the great NFL. All this blind Bettman hate is ridiculous. Take some management or economic classes and you'll see why Bettman is doing a good job.

Haha I love the verbal jumble ken has right before he scores, so much awesome is happening and he just doesn't know how to convey it to words.

Let me see what I've got on me. *checking my wallet.* Wait, does that share of the Leafs include waffles?

I wish it were true, but I don't see any chance of the NHL gaining market share because of an NFL lockout. Unless the NFL loses an entire season, which I don't think will happen. October and November NHL is not interesting enough to attract mainstream attention. If the NHL playoffs were during the lockout, maybe they get some increase in ratings. But not for early season games. If anyone is going to see an increase it is MLB playoffs and College Football.

Isn't the TV contract set to expire after this season? Or did they re-up with Versus/NBC/Comcast/etc? I would love to see the NHL return to ESPN, which would likely mean a return of NHL 2Night program as well. Wouldn't mind hearing this again (see attached).

They sorta have this thing called a contract.

One! Two! Three! Four! Five! Five more years! Ah, hahahaha.

You guys weren't expecting him to be gone, were you? Commissioners don't get fired or leave, like ever. Frustrating as it may be, the sniveling little weasel is here and here past the 5 years I would imagine

doesnt matter how much pressure hes under, or how he feels, it matters what the doctors say. the league wont let someone play unless their 100%, and the doctors say hes clear, when it comes to returning from head injuries. if he retires bettman would put him right under him in the NHL front office. (not that he isn't under him in other ways already )

I have. He told me that Bettman makes sure nothing happens to him and that there is a massive conspiracy against the Wings now that he is in the league. Then he ate a kitten and kicked me in the shins. What a jerk.

+1 I'd much rather play against the best and hopefully kick their butts than to have guys retire early from injury just because they pose a threat to my team. Much more rewarding to beat the best than to get the easy road. My dream playoffs would have us playing the Ducks, Hawks, Canucks and Penguins with all their players healthy and hoisting the Cup at the end.

I think in Abdelkader's case it may be due to being overcoached. To get into the NHL Abs played his style of game which endeared him to what Babs wanted. An element that was sorely needed. A player who can come in and be tough to play against and provide the odd goal. But now that Abs is an NHL regular, he could have his coaches telling DO THIS AND DON'T DO THAT. DON'T TAKE BAD PENALTIES, PICK YOUR SPOTS, ETC. I've seen is alot over the years with various players on other teams. While some guys are cereberal assassins (like Lidstrom) and can think the game miles ahead of everyone else, most players need to just play. Maybe I am off base here but when I watch Abs I don't think it's a lack of effort, I think he is playing hesitant because his coaches have him scared s***less. It's like he is afraid to make a mistake which is the worst thing a coach can do. It's like they've cut his balls off and now he has lost his drive.

Did you copy & paste the contents from the October 2009 thread and the October 2008 thread to make the "is Zetterberg slowing down" October 2010 thread? I swear these threads roll around every October. In April, May and June threads pop up that say "Zetterberg is a BEAST", "Zetterberg is a MONSTER", "Congrats to Zetterberg for his Conn Smythe trophy!!!". This thread sucks.