SUNRISE, Fla. — NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman defended the way the league and two teams handled situations that arose during the Pride Night celebrations during his state of the game press conference Saturday at All-Star Weekend.
Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Ivan Provorov did not participate in warm-up exercises on Jan. 18 because he refused to wear a Pride jersey. Nine days later, the New York Rangers elected not to wear Pride jerseys or use Pride tape as part of their night out, despite previously stating they would do so.
Bettman said tolerance for different viewpoints is part of being “open, welcoming and inclusive.”
“They know our goals, our values and our intentions across the league, whether at league or club level,” he said. “But we also have to respect some individual choices, and some people are more comfortable committing to a cause than others. And part of being diverse and welcoming is understanding those differences.”
Bettman said the NHL does not accept bigotry or encourage homophobia. Provorov cited his Russian Orthodox religion for his decision, which coach John Tortorella supported, while Rangers said in a statement: “Our organization respects the LGBTQ+ community and we’re proud to be paying tribute to key local community organizations as part of another great Pride Night to draw attention to. Consistent with the core values of our organization, we support the individual right of each individual to express their beliefs with respect.”
Bettman also announced that the 2024 All-Star Weekend will be held in Toronto, addressed concerns about US TV ratings and the current playoff format, and provided an update on the Ottawa Senators sale process.
TORONTO ALL STAR
The NHL is trading the fun in the South Florida sun for the hype and buzz of the all-star celebrations at the so-called center of the hockey universe in Toronto February 2-3, 2024. It’s the first time the Maple Leafs set to host since 2000.
“Being in Toronto, where hockey is so important, we may not be in 80 degrees, but we have real intensity in one of the greatest hockey markets in the world,” Bettman said.
The league originally planned to host a World Cup of Hockey in February 2024, but Plans foundered on complications arising from Russia’s war in Ukraine. Toronto hosted the 2016 World Cup and has all the infrastructure to host the All-Star Weekend in a location popular with gamers.
“There’s always something going on in the city, especially at an event like this,” said Toronto-area Leafs All-Star Mitch Marner. “It will all be ready for it.”
Valuation problems?
Amid reports of declining US TV ratings this season, Bettman said so many games streamed on ESPN+ were the cause, brushing off worries about the NHL on ESPN and TNT.
“Our ratings are fine,” Bettman said. “Let’s not get too carried away with ratings because overall viewership is up nationwide.”
PLAYOFF FORMAT
Some All-Stars, including longtime face of the league Sidney Crosby, have said they would prefer to return to the old playoff format that seeded teams 1 through 8 in the Eastern and Western Conferences.
Currently, each division winner meets a wildcard opponent and second place meets third, which could mean two of the top six teams from the NHL meet in the first round and the league-leading Boston Bruins in the second against the winner.
“The 1v8 debate isn’t just that,” Bettman said. “You also have to look at how you then change the wildcard and you have to start looking at the matchups in terms of how often everyone plays against everyone else when you have conference-based playoffs. So it’s not that easy to say, “I’d like 1 on 8” versus what we have. There is a whole range of other issues that need to be addressed.”
SENATORS SALE
The process to sell the Senators following the death of owner Eugene Melnyk is ongoing, with 15 or more parties involved in the application process. No matter what happens, Bettman said the team isn’t leaving Canada’s capital and could even move to a new arena downtown.
“I want to make it clear that anyone buying this club is doing so to keep it in Ottawa,” he said. “I say this to avoid speculation.”
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