Comments on: Gary Bettman received $7.5 million for 2009-10 season (and why that’s a reasonable wage)

By: nhlbruins90

nhlbruins90 — Tue, 26 Jul 2011 13:41:50 +0000

If they have a labor dispute (which seems to be the thing to do these days) the players should have their heads examined. Never have the players and owners together enjoyed this level of success.

If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Just laugh all the way to the bank, and be grateful that there are still enough people loaded up with enough bucks to shell out $300 for three hours of (usually) good entertainment.

By: derpdederpdederp

derpdederpdederp — Tue, 26 Jul 2011 04:22:12 +0000

thats a big “if”. check his track record, avoiding labour disasters is not Gary’s strong suit. neither is being commissioner

By: nhlbruins90

nhlbruins90 — Tue, 26 Jul 2011 04:07:21 +0000

Bettman’s salary (like every player’s salary) is perfectly justified. He’s the CEO of a major organization, and he’s managed it well over his tenure. The league is in great shape by almost every measure.

By: sknut

sknut — Mon, 25 Jul 2011 23:00:25 +0000

If he can avoid a labor disaster next year, then he will have earned his pay. There is no question the league is more popular than ever and lets hope it stays that way.

By: skoobyfl

skoobyfl — Mon, 25 Jul 2011 21:11:35 +0000

Brian is by far the most overpaid NHL player, Vanek a close 2nd thanks to Edmonton.

By: jerseypatriot76

jerseypatriot76 — Mon, 25 Jul 2011 20:48:27 +0000

No one can stand the little weasel, but Gary B. Bettman has gotten better at his job. Now, this is also related to the fact that the game on the ice has improved and the fact that major American markets are playing for the Stanley Cup the past few seasons. To say that $7.5 mil a year is reasonable is sketchy, because who really deserves that kind of money besides Joe Yerdon and James O’Brien, but in terms of overall CEO salary these days it is comparable.

To me, his magnum opus is the lockout. He got the fans to side more with the owners than the players. While a season was lost and that will go near the top of his resume, the league is functioning as its financial best. I have seen in my 30 years of following the NHL.

He’s far from perfect and has made some ghastly blunders, but hockey is now returning to Winnipeg and some of those southern cities have taken to the game. Not sure what will happen in Phoenix and Long Island, but the league that so many pundits thought would be the fifth or sixth major sport in America after the 2004-05 lockout is all the way back and then some. The US TV contract with NBC/Versus is a fantastic new source of revenue for the league.

Now Koharski making over a million, well that is way too many Boston Kremes for my tastes!