Bettman delighted with first year of “New NHL”

By Drew Silverman SportsTicker Staff Writer

RALEIGH, North Carolina (Ticker) - The inaugural season of the “New NHL” is winding to a close, and as great as it was for the league, the future appears to be even brighter.

Sounding predominantly optimistic but defensive at times, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman held his annual state of the game news conference prior to Monday’s Game One of the Stanley Cup Finals.

Bettman addressed a host of topics, including the overwhelming success the league enjoyed this season and the prospects that hopefully will improve the game in the years to come.

“This season was about re-engaging our fans,” Bettman said. “The credit goes to our clubs, our players and most importantly, to our fans. Now that we are focused on moving forward, we are also looking into ways that we can do that job even better.”

After a lockout wiped away the entire 2004-05 season, the NHL was forced to make an assortment of changes to reinvigorate its product.

Most of the attention was focused on the changes that came on the ice - the regulation of goaltenders’ equipment, the elimination of the two-line pass and the controversial delay-of-game penalty among them.

However, there were many improvements made to the NHL off the ice, as well. The league became more media-friendly and more consumer-friendly. There was increased access to the players and the teams - before, during and after the games.

“We are going to continue to market the players,” Bettman said. “We’re going to maintain the unprecedented access that we created and see what else we can do to improve that.”

Still, there are those who have criticized the progress the league has made, specifically the miniscule television ratings it is achieving in some of the larger markets in the United States.

In defense of the TV ratings, Bettman pointed out that the NHL set an all-time attendance record this year. He also noted that the local television ratings have gone up, for the most part, and that OLN - in its first season as the league’s cable network - has gone from being in 64 million homes to 70 million homes over the last year.

“We changed (TV) partners,” Bettman said. “On cable, we gave up some distribution in order to get better coverage. That’s a trade I would make again if I had to. Because we love the way OLN is covering us … and over time, you’re going to see the build.”

Bettman also addressed the league’s probable salary cap for next season, which he estimated at “somewhere in the 43-44 million range.”

The commissioner attributed the bump from the $39 million teams were permitted to spend this season predominantly to “an increase in revenues” as “revenues will be at an all-time high for this league.”

As far as rule changes, of which there were many this season, Bettman does not expect any major alterations for 2006-07. The most heavily criticized one this year was the delay-of-game ruling where players were penalized for shooting the puck over the glass from their own zone.

This rule came under additional scrutiny in Game Seven of the Eastern Conference finals, when Buffalo Sabres defenseman Brian Campbell committed the violation midway through the third period and Carolina Hurricanes captain Rod Brind’Amour scored the eventual game-winning goal on the ensuing power play.

“It will be looked at, as all rules will, but personally I don’t have a problem with the rule,” Bettman said. “The emphasis is on offense and if you’re stopping the play at a critical juncture by putting the puck into the stands, then I don’t have a problem with a penalty. Don’t do it.”

Bettman went on to suggest a rule change that he might be interested in.

For the first time this season, teams that iced the puck were not allowed to change players. The commissioner said he is going to explore a similar rule for when goaltenders freeze the puck, but such a change would appear to be somewhat of a long shot.

One of the more prevalent topics that arose Monday was that of small- and large-market teams. Of course, the Stanley Cup Finals feature the Hurricanes and Edmonton Oilers - a pair of small-market squads that are not expected to produce impressive ratings.

However, Bettman pointed out that, regardless of the size of the city, the Stanley Cup Finals are about putting the best product on the ice and, if it is a well-played series, the ratings will follow.

“Market size has become irrelevant,” Bettman said. “I don’t think that people decide to tune in based on the population of the market that is playing. … It’s about what takes place on the ice, it’s about the entertainment value that we are providing.

“Frankly, I think it’s more important to all of our fans that they know that whatever team they root for, they have a shot. I am delighted in the two teams that are here, and the ratings will be what the ratings will be.”