Hockey Hall of Fame Class of 2018 Profile: Gary Bettman

Gary Bettman is the most controversial member of the Hockey Hall of Fame 2018 class

When the Hockey Hall of Fame 2018 inductees were announced, there was one name that was sure to cause controversy – Gary Bettman. The NHL commissioner will be inducted into the Hall of Fame as a builder, along with Willie O’Ree.

O’Ree was the first black player to lace up the skates for the NHL and has had a good deal of support from current players. Bettman’s inclusion in the 2018 class is controversial for several reasons. However, he has also done some good.

Gary Bettman: The Good

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Bettman has been a polarizing figure in the NHL since he was named commissioner in 1993. While there is no doubt that the NHL has grown during his tenor as commissioner, the growth came with the loss of so many of the traditions that made the NHL so beloved.

During his tenure, Bettman has added seven new teams to the NHL, including the wildly popular and successful Vegas Golden Knights. He has also helped bring NHL revenue from $400 million dollars to a projected $4.54 billion for the 2018-19 season. Bettman has done this despite not having a TV deal with ESPN in recent years.

Gary Bettman: The Bad

Other pieces of Bettman’s NHL resume are not so impressive. He has presided over three NHL work stoppages, including the 2004-05 lockout. That lockout resulted in the cancellation of the entire season. The 2013 lockout did not last as long but saw Bettman succeed in establishing the hard cap on team salaries that had been the true intent of the lockout.

Bettman also made changes in not just the makeup of the NHL Conferences and Divisions, but to their names as well. The stately Prince of Wales Conference is now just the mundane Eastern Conference. All of the Philadelphia Flyers’ beloved Patrick Division banners are meaningless, as they are now in the Metropolitan Division.

The other Bettman thorn in most fans’ side is the shootout. Never has a change in the way a game ends been so despised by so many. The three-on-three overtime has not been as polarizing, but many fans still long for the days when a regular season tie remained a tie.

Gary Bettman: The Really Ugly

Bettman has also been criticized more recently for failing to act to protect the NHL’s players from the long-term effects of repeated head injuries. Chief among those critics is Daniel Carcillo, who pulled no punches.

All of the players Carcillo mentioned in his tweet suffered from concussion issues that ultimately led to their deaths. There is a similar lawsuit working its way through the US Federal Courts.

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Nick Boynton, who recently admitted to substance abuse issues due to his role as an enforcer, joined Carcillo in condemning Bettman’s inclusion in the Hockey Hall of Fame. Boynton has asked that Hall of Fame return all the personal items he has donated from his career.