Bettman, Aaron Johnson, Espn and Hejda

New York Islander Fan Central | 4/29/2008 11:15:00 PM | | | |
Cape Brenton Post: TJ Colello has Aaron Johnson's comments after being honored before tonight's World Championship exhibition game in Port Hawkesbury here where Slovenia defeated Norway 6-4.

Colmubus Dispatch: Aaron Portzline reports the Blue Jackets have re-signed defenseman Jan Hejda to a three-year contract worth $6 million.

Hejda, 29, could have become an unrestricted free agent on June 1. He’ll make $2 million per season through 2010-11. Hejda had no goals, 13 assists and a plus-20 rating that was tied for 10th-best in the NHL.

NYI Fan Central Comments:
Just seeing how the market is being set for defenseman, that's why I posted this here.

Scripps Howard News Service: Ray McNulty, blames Gary Bettman for the decline of hockey because they left ESPN.

NYI Fan Central Comments:
Mr McNulty is one of those former writers from the NY Post (among other publications) here who obviously had blinders on when Espn/Espn2 decided to drop most of it's hockey coverage when they still had the NHL rights to a point Gary Bettman was better off finding someone who would give the league more attention. The ratings game has been spun a lot of directions, the one the folks who are in ESPN's corner never bring up is how low ratings and coverage were on Espn/Espn2 before the lockout.

For all the abuse Mr Bettman takes he is one person. He does not own Comcast or have the right to tell the Wirtz family how to show the Blackhawks in Chicago or what Ed Snider should do with Comcast Flyers or Mike Ilitch what to do with Wings games in Detroit. You think the Six Canadian clubs care one bit about Espn?

If anyone thinks Gary Bettman does not have resistance one team sued the league for control of it's own website this year and lost.

That owner controls the rights to four NHL teams game telecasts.

There are things to blame Gary Bettman about and some of them are fair but many go beyond the commissioner who is not at fault for equipment and body training methods improving which hurt the product by making the space on the ice smaller. You have to put some things on all the owners, the NHLPA, the folks who own the rights to the games and the competition committee.

Nothing is as easy as Gary Bettman deciding this is what's he is going to do and that's final. How many times has Bettman said x owner owns the club, he gives advice when asked but he does not own x team.

Ct Post: Michael Fornabaio has a blog on the AHL playoffs and a few words on the Islanders/Sound Tigers heading into the World Championships.