Gary Bettman Speaks; Says Little of Substance, as Usual

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman has been quite visible lately. Off his appearances at All-Star Weekend, including his chance to walk out on the ice and get booed in French, Bettman has done plenty of media (including a Friday interview on NHL Radio where he wore the hideous sweater he's pictured in).

Tuesday, the commish spoke to a throng of Canadian business leaders in Toronto. He didn't hold back with his optimism about the league.

Bettman said the NHL is a "vibrant business", talked about the projected growth, and tried to address the inevitable economic challenges.

"This will be our fourth consecutive year of record revenue growth and, because our attendance historically increases month by month, 2008-09 also likely will be our fourth consecutive season of record attendance," Bettman said. "That said, we are, of course, faced with challenges and I focus on them every moment of every day. I see the challenges and I am extremely confident they can be overcome through hard work, through the commitment of my office and the Board of Governors to every one of our franchises in every one of our markets and through the strength of the economic system that governs the League's relationship with the players ... Despite the fact the economy has dramatically slowed down and will continue to slow down and that unemployment will reach levels that none of us have seen in our lifetime, some people are still spending money. (Some) businesses still continue to advertise and our demographic, as far as sponsor reach, is as strong as any brand can deliver."

Hockey's fearless leader did address the Phoenix Coyotes situation on NHL Radio Friday. It was there that he tried to shoot down any rumors that the franchise is on the verge of bankruptcy. He told Don La Greca and E.J. Hradek that those responsible for the gloom-and-doom reports on the Coyotes had an agenda.

Bettman, as usual, didn't say anything groundbreaking or shocking. He didn't go very far in talking about the economy, and he continues to ignore the gaggles of empty seats at various NHL venues.

The Phoenix situation is the most intriguing when it comes to the business of hockey. All signs are that bad things are coming for that organization, but everyone in an important position has - so far - denied that there are any serious problems.

If things are already bad for one fringe team, what's going to happen to other potentially struggling franchises if the economy doesn't improve soon?