When you think of the Arizona Coyotes, who are not only draining money but also playing in the local arena and being homeless, the NHL and especially Gary Bettman lose a lot of respect.
Although this is a serious embarrassment to professional sports, the commissioner still does everything he can to keep the team in Arizona.
But Bateman hasn’t run the league for the last 30 years for nothing. This year, the NHL expects to earn nearly $6 billion in revenue.
Bettman: “We think we’re close to $6 billion in hockey-related revenue for the year, and that’s an estimate, we still have pills to count. He’s looking at Bill Daley, and they’re both smiling at each other with pride.”
Let’s just say that Bateman and Daley were very proud to announce this news on the eve of the Stanley Cup Final, during Media Day.
Before SCF’s first game, we quizzed NHL Commissioner Bettman about his self-assessment of how to diversify the league’s predominantly white fanbase. Bateman claimed that because attendance and television were up, things were getting better.
We also asked about Bettman’s thoughts on how Las Vegas might affect the league. He’s made reference to the team’s status as the “darling” of Las Vegas and how great it was to be added to the NHL.