Bettman also says he has no intention of stepping down. If he actually had any respect for hockey, and if he wanted to do what is best for hockey, he would immediately resign and disappear into the Canadian wilderness. He has presided over 3, THREE, lockouts. He will never ever be forgiven by the fans. Nor should he. The NHL needs to do some major groveling if it expects to get the fans back into the seats. This will go much faster if he is gone forever.

Not that I am bitter or anything.

I am proudly the seventh die-hard hockey fan who reads the SLOG! I love your hockey reporting. Keep it up. Eventually everyone will see how amazing the sport of ice hockey is.

Can we just buy the Phoenix Coyotes already?

I've had my Buffalo Sabres logo as my icon on SLOG for years now, so I hope I'm one of the original six; see what I did there? Nevertheless, I'm looking forward to watching NHL hockey at the Angry Beaver.

Bettman is employed by the owners. I don't know if the NHL's commissioner is supposed to have the same independence and duty to work for the sport's best interest as other commissioners*, but Bettman has never conducted his job that way. He's always been the owners' lackey.

* "Supposed to" is the key phrase here.

Just read the Flyers play the Pens in Philly on the 19th. THAT is an opener!

Bettman... So, so sorry he is, just ask him. "Greatest fans in sports"... My contempt for him knows no bounds. And that was just last season.

1. Thanks, Megan, for bravely posting about hockey on the slog in the face of slog-hate.
2. Screw you, Bettman! You're not sorry!
3. Hockey players (like many athletes and other physically fit people) are hot, Cosmo, but you're the worst.
4. Hi, other slog hockey fans! See you at the Angry Beaver!
5. Yay hockey!

@5, yeah. Saw what ya' did. Well played.

@9, yup! What are the kids saying these days? FTW.

FLYERS HOCKEY! ... sorry for so many caps. And if the Angry Beaver is showing the first Flyers game, I'll be the one berating the team I LOVE. I am a Flyers fan after all.

Keep up with the hockey love. I can't wait for the first puck drop at the Angry Beaver.

Wait, where's our NHL team?

Stupid cartel.

@1: "Disappear into the Canadian wilderness"?

Oh hell no. Bettman is all yours. Once he is finally exorcised from the NHL, I fully expect him to be named persona non grata up here. With a bounty on his head.

Don't try and foist him off on us.

Seriously they're going to hold out on releasing the schedule until Saturday? Haven't we waited long enough? What is this bullshit?
Also, Bettman, stfu. We know you're not sorry. You're an asshat and you don't give two shits about the fans. Fuck you and all you stand for.

Let's go Pens! Let's go Pens! Let's go Pens!

@14, I suppose we could send him to Alaska, but Canada has so MUCH lovely wilderness. With polar bears. And freezing winters. So many places where he could just never be seen again. Think about it.