NHL Commissioner Bettman Must Go

NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman has run the NHL into the ground. Thanks to his swift direction, the league is now embroiled in a labor dispute that has no end in sight. In fact, there have been no substantive discussion between the two sides since the lockout commenced September 15, 2004.

This petition endorses the immediate removal, be it through resignation or firing, of NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman.

Since taking over control of the NHL in 1993, Bettman, to quote The Hockey News Senior Writer Mike Brophy, has taken hockey from heaven to hell to non-existence. More facts of Bettmans tenure, courtesy of Mr. Brophys article:

This is the second time the players have been locked out under Bettmans watch, and they also went on strike during his tenure.
The average salary in the Bettman era has risen from $463,000 a season in 19921993 to a unsustainable $1.86 million.
The NHL expanded too quickly and went into markets where many people wouldnt know a puck from a cow patty.
The latest U.S. TV deal gives teams no up-front money.
The on-ice product on the ice has gone downhill. Players are bigger, faster and stronger than ever, yet the games, for the most part, are boring.

(Note: Neither Mr. Brophy nor The Hockey News has reviewed or endorsed this petition)

Add all of this up and what you have is an entity that is leaving its birthplace (Canada) for unviable U.S. markets (thanks to Bettmans marketing fantasies), player salaries that are entirely too high for league revenues (thanks to Bettmans CBA incompetence), and a core product that is on life support (thanks to Bettmans utter lack of knowledge in what makes hockey a brilliant sport), one in which fans are increasingly called on to finance via outrageous ticket prices.

Finally, this is a man who due to the lockout laid-off a number of NHL front office staff and created the need for many NHL teams to lay-off hard-working staff, yet he and his executive cronies still collect their full paychecks. Not only is this man not qualified to do his job, he obviously lacks the ethics that a strong leader must have.

Need more proof Bettman must go? Read what the legendary and current NHL player Chris Chelios thinks: Gary Bettman has put the league in this situation, Chelios told the Detroit Free Press. A guy who doesn't do his job shouldn't be there. . . . He put hockey where it shouldnt belong.

If you love hockey and what the NHL was and should be, sign this petition to remove Gary Bettman from office, so other, more competent individuals can work toward transforming the words, Greatest Game on Ice to reality as opposed to simply being a cheesy slogan.