EDMONTON – NHL commissioner Gary Bettman and deputy commissioner Bill Daly held their annual Stanley Cup news conference before Game 1, and the lack of drama was actually a good sign for the league.
One topic that irked Bettman, however, was all the talk about how teams, like the Tampa Bay Lightning And Florida Panthershave been so successful in recent times, given that they reside in a Tax Free State.
Bettman even asked Daly to answer the question of whether the NHL would seek to address the issue in the next collective bargaining agreement, as the commissioner said he hated that question.
For the record, Daly said there are no plans to address the issue at the next CBA, which the league and NHLPA are currently working on. Although he said some franchises have raised concerns about it, the league is not worried at this point.
“These imbalances have always existed” Daly said. “There’s nothing new here. There are so many reasons why a player might choose to play in a particular place for a particular team, for a particular coach, that have nothing to do with the fiscal situation of that market.”
Ron Hainsey, assistant general manager of the NHLPA, had some good words about it after the news conference, when he and union head Marty Walsh had their own scrum with reporters.
“Who led the league between 2008 and 20? » said Hainsey. “Boston, Pittsburgh, THERE., Chicago, Detroit for a bit. Were we supposed to expect Tampa and Florida to not be good at some point? I’m baffled that this keeps coming up. You never hear about that in the NFL or NBA. »
Furthermore, Bettman and Daly discussed several topics.
On how current CBA negotiations are going compared to the past: “No comparison,” Bettman said. “We have a very constructive and cordial dialogue. I think we are in really good shape.”
Walsh echoed that sentiment.
On expanding into markets such as Houston, Atlanta or Phoenix: “We’ve had a lot of interest,” Daly said. The deputy commissioner added that there is no formal expansion bid process on the agenda, but if someone comes to the NHL with a solid plan, they will present it to the Board of Governors.
Elsewhere, look for the New York Islanders to get some sort of All-Star event in 2027 to replace the one initially announced for 2026 before the Olympic Games. Don’t expect a change to the overtime and shootout rules in the regular season, and don’t even ask Bettman if play-in games will be added to the NHL schedule.
“By the way, we had a play-in,” Bettman said. “Did you know that three clubs’ playoff position was only determined in the last game they played in the regular season? We think what we have works very well.”
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