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You're giving Bettman a lot of credit there, for things that may or may not have been entirely his doing - especially considering he was not even the commissioner of the NBA during that time. The fact is he is the only commissioner in all of North American pro sports to lose a full season and another half season due to labor disputes, and not a world war. Fans have literally lost 10% of hockey during his tenure as commissioner. I have a tough time excusing that.

Except the KHL can not sustain such salaries with their paltry revenues. Bettman just needs to go - get in an actual hockey guy as a commissioner, not an NBA reject, and I think the NHL can flourish again.... it is already doing so, depite Bettman.

It's amazing to me there are actually Red Wings fans who feel Lidstrom and Datsyuk got what they deserved. Anyways, the Player's Association is definitely not pleased over this, and some may feel it was a show of power by Bettman: http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/2009/01/24/...llstar_weekend/ http://www.tsn.ca/blogs/darren_dreger/?id=264460 Unfortunatey nothing can be done before the actual game.

How is Gary Bettman hate unjustified? Of all the commissioners in the history of professional sports, only one has lost an entire 1 1/2 seasons due to labor disputes. That's pitiful.

The shootout challenge was entertaining... I like that everyone is involved. The rest was pretty ho-hum.

Lidstrom is a thug!!!

Colin Campbell states twice in his interview the rule created by Bettman in February was that you had to PLAY in the ASG, or miss one. This exception for Crosby was created later, or he would be suspended as well. Crosby's later interview where he states he agrees with Bettman, and that "he is actually injured" while the others are just getting "rest", makes it really hard to like the guy. He's literally putting himself on a pedastal and throwing Lidstrom and Datsyuk under the bus.

http://watch.tsn.ca/#clip132854 The video, "Sending a Message" has Colin Campbell talking about the suspension to Lidstrom and Datsyuk. Twice, he states that a player must miss a game immediately before or after the ASG if tht player does not play because of an injury -- to validate that injury. This was the rule, or policy, that Bettman created last February and presented to the GMs. Nothing about an "exception" and that somehow being present at the All Star Game validates your injury.

http://tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=264365&lid...s=topStory_main Currently the first video, "Sending a Message" has Colin Campbell talking about the suspension to Lidstrom and Datsyuk. Twice, he states that a player must miss a game immediately before or after the ASG if tht player does not play because of an injury -- to validate that injury. This was the rule, or policy, that Bettman created last February and presented to the GMs. Nothing about an "exception" and that somehow being present at the All Star Game validates your injury. Clearly an exception to the rule was made for Crosby, because he could attend the entire event.

It really does, doesn't it? Doesn't he have PR people? Are they being paid enough? There are plenty of fans from other teams out there right now treating Bettman like a hero, for laying down the law on two Red Wings stars, and of course the media is loving any controversey they can get. But how does this "You're going to come and you're going to have fun!" treatment look to the players? How about to the GMs and owners? Holland was obviously pissed, and you do not see that too often, if ever, to be honest. All told, Bettman really handled this poorly. It is just strange someone in that position can be so inept.

I wonder how excited Crosby will be as an injured 38 year-old to attend the All Star Game, after appearing in about 15 straight. I hope he remembers his responsibilities to the "fans" then. Crosby, Datsyuk and Lidstrom all knew they might face suspension by not playing in the game... it is more than apparent that Crosby found a way to wiggle out of it by simply attending the event. He was not planning on being there until Sunday originaly, because he had no idea of any "exception". Holland, once made aware of the exception, was not willing to call Datsyuk and Lidstrom and make them attend the event. It's pretty simple. I think Bettman knew it was a pretty stupid rule, and was faced with ignoring it, or suspending not only Lidstrom and Datsyuk, but also Crosby. Once it was apparent Crosby could attend the entire event, he made an exception, which I am sure the NHL then informed Holland about -- but that was Friday and Holland was not about to ask them to change their plans... especially considering they were injured. If this "exception" was in place for the past year, why was Crosby not planning on coming until Saturday or Sunday? I also find it hard to believe Lidstrom wouldn't be there if he knew this all along. From Holland's reaction, they obviously did not (or why would he even comment on calling them?).

I like when Crosby states his injury is "real"... and that "others" are just getting rest. Classy. Shane Doan, Lecavalier, Souray, Campbell and Tkachuk so far have chosen to side with their fellow players, and said if they are injured, especially those two, they do not deserve to be suspended and should not have to be there. So far I have only heard JS Giguere and Crosby throw Lidstrom and Datsyuk under the bus. Crosby, of all people, should be shutting his mouth about the whole thing because he received special treatment.

That's just the thing - Bettman and Campbell could make an exception for Datsyuk because he was injured *in* the game preceding the ASG - Shane Doan has publicly stated Datsyuk was skating hurt in that game, after some hits. He could also make an exception because Lidstrom has a tear in his elbow - literally the type of thing you rest for a few days and it can be better. But instead of considering exceptions for them, he gives the exception to his golden boy and publicly treats Datsyuk and Lidstrom like spoiled brats because there are not 20 year-olds willing to come at Bettman's beck-and-call. You are barely even hearing that Datsyuk and Lidstrom are actually injured in the news reports - just that they decided to abandon the NHL and its fans.

http://www.kuklaskorner.com/index.php/hock...sby_in_montreal There was a clip of it up at TSN as well, it looks like he can barely contain a giggle while talking about their suspensions.

The rest of the hockey world is thanking Bettman for this wonderful opportunity to bash the Red Wings and Nik Lidstrom, because Lidstrom has really had this comeing all these years, and deserves all this bad-mouthing for disrespecting the game, the fans and his fellow hockey players. It's about time he stopped getting away with it.

The fact Crosby obviously had no idea he had to be there Friday, and was not planning on coming until Saturday or Sunday. Crosby was going to be attending anyways (it's big bucks for him), but it certainly does not sound like he was attending because of the "exception" to the rule, which he was unaware of, as he admitted. Obviously Datsyuk, Lidstrom and Holland were aware they could be suspended for not playing, but they were also obviously not aware of the "exception", which did not come out until Friday. Bettman and Colin Campbell can do whatever they want for the most part in terms of these little rules -- they can make exceptions to it, like they did with Crosby, and they can choose to enforce it for Lidstrom and Datsyuk. It does outrage me that Crosby gets an exception, but two players of the likes of Datsyuk and Lidstrom are publicly villified now by Bettman. These are two guys that are injured, and Bettman could have just as easily made an exception for them as well, but he chose to be the hardass, and come down on them once it was ensured Crosby was on a plane to Montreal. The timing of it all really stinks. Go to some different news media sites and Lidstrom and Datsyuk are being dragged through the mud here, while Crosby comes off as a saint. It is infuriating. Lidstrom is being treated like a petulant, spoiled rock star who is lieing about his injury. Bettman could have handled this in a completely different manner, and as always, instead, he does exactly the worst thing for the sport.

I really appreciate him condemning both Lidstrom and Datsyuk, who have both played in several All Star Games already. Crosby will have missed two straight now.

Yes. The NHL is all of a sudden telling him that if they show up, they do not risk a suspension, and Holland is stating he is not going to enforce that upon his players. He obviously knew there was a danger they would have to sit a game for this, but he also obviously did NOT know there was the "Crosby Exception".

Link showing the "exception"? You can't even find a link showing "the rule" that was created last year. It's just an arbitrary rule Bettman dreamed up and now he is arbitrarily giving exceptions to it.

If it is indeed a "suspension", absolutely. But I am hearing now this is not a "suspension" as it is with pay. As others have said, if it's not an official suspension, they should just take to the ice anyways

Aside from Holland being a hero, another important thing to gleam from his comments is he obviously had no idea there was an "exception" to the rule; that if a player merely "attended" the ASG, they were exempt from the rule, despite an injury.

Lidstrom, above all people, takes his role as a spokesman and participant in the NHL very seriosuly. He has attended 10 All Star Games, and 9 straight. He has attended every single NHL awards function. If this "exception" were in place before today, he would be in Montreal. This did not come out until today, and it happily coincides with Crosby hopping on a plane to be there today, immediately after he and the Penguins called Bettman. He has admitted publicly he had no knowledge about this "exception" until today, as we was planning on not showing up until Saturday or Sunday. The Red Wings knew the rule might be enforced... but they were obviously not made known of this out-of-the-air "exception" until today. Holland literally said he would not disturb them to make them aware of it.

How many times do I have to say it? Crosby did the exact same thing! Under the rule, if you do not play in the ASG because of an injury you have to sit a game. An exception was created for Crosby today.

You could create a "B" Habs team that would still beat 90% of the all-time rosters of most teams today (not Detroit or Boston)... and it still would not include anyone from the past 20 years. I see what they were trying to do, and it is interesting that they limited it to only 8 HoF players, considering their Dynasty team of the 70s had 9 Hall of Fame Players. Why Komisarik over Markov even? Whatever.

Incorrect. The "just showing up" part was an exception to the rule just created today, as a compromise between Crosby and Bettman, who spent some time on the phone today. The rule was in regards to injured players not playing in the ASG - there were no "exceptions" created -- until today. If you were injured and could not play in the All Star Game, you had to miss either the game immediately preceding or following the ASG.