Stanley Cup

Cenzo

Probably he is an easy target and doesn't deserve to be booed mercilessly. But he had 3 lockouts during his tenor, including the cancelling of an entire season. He also got rid of the traditional conference and division names in favor or regional names for casual fans. There was also this
https://thehockeywriters.com/john-scott-proves-that-hockey-is-more-than-just-a-game/
A guy in a suit is never going to be a fan favorite at a sporting event, most of the time. Bill Wirtz used to get booed all the time too, and when Rocky took over the fans loved him. Another sports truism is everyone love a winner and the Hawks won under Rocky.

Archer

Thank you! Very good points, and this paragraph in that story rings so true to me with regards to Bettman:

"The truth of the matter is, John Scott’s career may suffer because of the trade that was involved in this whole ordeal. That’s why businessmen and women run teams and the NHL’s front office. To maximize the amount of money the league brings in regardless of morals, and Scott fell victim to that in the worst way possible."

The NHL needs to be a successful business, but how you get to be there counts, at least in my books.

And let's not overlook what is his biggest sin in my view - not finding a way to have the best hockey players in the world consistently at the Olympic Games. His defenders will point to insurance and nonsense like that, but virtually every other major sport that participates in the Olympics manages to find a way, but Gary somehow just can't. To deny the Games the best players in what is arguably the marquis sport, is simply unforgivable in my opinion.

Canuck

I know I am in a minority here, but GO OILERS!!!!!!!!

mydeafcat

It would have been great for the Cup to come back north