Gary Bettman Has High Praise For Blackhawks, Their Fans
(CBS) There's been much made of the Tampa Bay Lightning's controversial ticket policy that made it far more difficult for out-of-state fans to acquire tickets to Game 1 and Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final that's tied 1-1 with the Blackhawks.
In the eyes of NHL commissioner Gary Bettman, the ordeal was overblown. His reasoning for that thinking? He saw a plenty of Blackhawks fans in Tampa who made their way into Amalie Arena.
"The good news from Tampa's standpoint, with everybody skeptical about the newer franchises and the support they have, they're trying to create a hometown, home-ice advantage," Bettman said on the Mully and Hanley Show on Monday morning. "And the good news is they know they can sell out their building to all to Tampa Bay Lightning fans. However, in my media availability, I said any Blackhawk fan who wants to go to the game can get a ticket. It isn't that hard. And if you were at Games 1 and 2, you would see there were a ton of Blackhawks fans in their jerseys in the arena. I tend to think this has been much ado about nothing.
"The fact is it was a great environment. Blackhawks fans were well represented in Tampa, and I have no doubt that they will be again in Game 5."
He didn't say it directly, but Bettman's thrilled to have the Blackhawks in the Stanley Cup Final again. They helped draw a 4.8 rating in Saturday's contest, which was the highest-rated Game 2 ever on NBC. Chicago pulled a 22.6 rating, and Tampa had a 15.1.
"They own Chicago now, and I think that's critical," Bettman said. "What (owner) Rocky (Wirtz) has done not only to revitalize but vitalize an incredible, passionate large fan base is a joy to watch. The team is exciting to watch, and I think that captures people's attention.
"When you get down to the last two teams vying for the Stanley Cup, what you're looking at if you're not a fan of either team is how exciting the hockey is. And Game 2 was off the charts. And throughout the playoffs, both of these teams -- but we're talking about the Blackhawks -- are just a lot of fun to watch. The Blackhawks are talented, they have stars and they have personality. And they've been really good."
The gripe for some fans is that Game 3 on Monday night and Game 4 on Wednesday night will be on NBC Sports Network, which isn't available to as many viewers. Bettman downplayed that concern.
"It's available to most homes, and the fact of the matter is NBC has done a terrific job in promoting, scheduling, broadcasting the games, whether on NBC Sports Net or NBC," he said. "We had our highest rating ever for a Game 2 on Saturday night. As part of the package we made with NBC three years ago, for the first time in our history in the United States, every game of the playoffs was on national TV. In terms of the give and take and making sure NBC Sports Network is strong it was important to NBC to be able to put a couple games of the Stanley Cup Final on Sports Net. It's something we'll continue to look at over time. But basically, just about everybody can get it if you've got cable or satellite."
Listen to Bettman's full interview below. He also stands by his recent controversial comments on head injuries and much more.