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Bettman comes to league's defense
Posted: Tuesday April 11, 2000 12:00 AM
The commissioner of the National Hockey League recently held a season-ending press conference to extol the virtues of the season just past. In a conference call that covered a wide range of topics, from increased stickwork to suspensions, the need for visors and even a defense of the still smoldering "No Goal" controversy from nearly a year ago, Gary Bettman made convincing arguments regard the high points of a season many felt marked a new low for the game. He talked about how attendance is on pace for a record-smashing season, and how the tie-in between ABC and ESPN hasn't improved ratings to the point "where we would like to be," but nevertheless has been good for hockey and shows growth in seeveral important demographics. Bettman also spoke about the need to reach out to all parties to get a workable agreement for greater protective items like tighter chin straps and eye shields. He side-stepped the issue of how many teams are making or losing money and how much, but you would expect that from a businessman. He strongly opposed opening up more playoff slots, given that the league will have grown to 30 teams for the start of next season, arguing that more teams fighting for just eight slots per conference has led to a more competitive regular season. Then he said that four-on-four has, in essence, been great for the game and that most everybody loves it. That's where he lost me. Bettman is absolutely correct when he says that fans love four-on-four and that even the players find it exciting. He was also correct in noting that more overtime games are being decided -- at midweek 44 percent of all overtime games had ended with a win compared with 27 percent last season. Left unsaid, however, was the price of all this happiness. Skewed standings and misrepresented playoff teams are the most obvious. Take a hard look at the Carolina Hurricanes for exhibit A. At season's end, the 'Canes had 37 wins, two more than the Buffalo Sabres. The 'Canes also had 35 losses, one less than the Sabres. They were an above .500 team, the Sabres were a below .500 team, But, Carolina also was one of only two teams not to lose a game in overtime this season. You would think that would mean something in the NHL but it didn't help the Hurricanes. They missed out by a single point. Yet, had there been no points awarded for a loss in overtime -- the so-called regulation tie -- the 'Canes likely would have finished ahead of both Pittsburgh and the Sabres based on the fact they would have had a better won-lost-tied record. Clearly had you taken all the points that the Sabres earned in overtime losses, including a crucial point in a 2-1 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins in the next-to-last game of the regular season, the 'Canes would have earned the last spot in the East, not the Sabres. The "point" is not lost on savvy NHL people Carolina general manager Jim Rutherford is aware of the situation, but Rutherford said he voted in favor of the proposal and won't go back on it know even if his team paid a heavy price. Detroit Red Wings coach Scott Bowman, a man who has been around the game longer than just about anyone still living, has argued in the past that the NHL should have gone with four-on-four in overtime, but kept the point situation the same as last season while teams adjusted. Bowman's argument is that the change has been too radical and perhaps unnecessary. If the four-on-four didn't work as a stand-alone, the league could always have come back and tinkered with the point process later. As it stands now, there may be too much of a benefit for holding on for a tie and losing as opposed to trying to win games outright in regulation time. Now it seems a great many teams just play to get to overtime assured of at least one point, and then gunning for a bonus with a four-on-four win. That's the way the Edmonton Oilers played it and they're in while another team with more wins than losses, the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim, are out. "We wouldn't have lost as many overtime games, there's absolutely no doubt in our minds," said Bill Tuele, the Oilers' vice president for communications, when discussing the team's penchant for playing wide open in the extra session. "Having said that, there's no doubt we're challenging for a playoff spot based on those overtime points." Small consolation to the teams that had more wins, but not enough overtime. Especially small consolation for the Carolina Hurricanes. Jim Kelley covers the NHL -- and the Sabres -- for the Buffalo News. His notebook and Rumor Mill appear weekly on CNNSI.com. The opinions expressed here are solely those of the writer.
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