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Bettman not concerned with hand dealt to Connor McDavid
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- Bettman not concerned with hand dealt to Connor McDavid
SAN JOSE, Calif. — At the NHL All-Star Game, it's around 95 percent a celebration of league's greatest talents, personalities, stories and one standout hockey city. The rest? Well, that can go any which way.
Trying its hand at the Super Bowl Media Day-style format with an open-floor opportunity at the City National Civic Auditorium in San Jose on Thursday, the 2019 All Stars involved were essentially pressed between two pieces of glass and slid under the microscope for two segments of national media to examine.
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For the players enjoying superb seasons from an individual standpoint and many as well from the team perspective, the extra attention was predominantly a positive thing. Removed from the strict and intense environment of an NHL locker room — and given the chance to talk about themselves — players had reason to let their hair down a bit. And they did.
But for the best player on planet earth, his 25 minutes on a makeshift stage was a nightmare.
Navigating a line of questioning that eventually built to the point where a reporter floated out the idea of leaving the Edmonton Oilers in order to escape all that plagues the franchise that he captains, Connor McDavid could finally take a breath.
"My god, I was going to get off the seat it was so hot," McDavid said, when asked about his preferred All Star format. (It's 3-on-3).
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The interrogation McDavid was subject to at NHL All Star Media Day wasn't something exclusive to the league itself; there are other brilliant athletes playing for teams that underachieve, and they have to answer for the shortcomings of those tasked with assembling the talent that surrounds them.
But the NHL is certainly in the minority on this one.
Its most spectacular talent, missing from meaningful games. His hands tied.
Unfortunately, same goes for the NHL. The parity that it has worked so hard to achieve is as much responsible for the league's growth in the post-lockout era as anything, and it's up to the franchises themselves to make their own advantages.
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Losing trade after trade after trade until firing Peter Chiarelli two days before Connor McDavid touched down in San Jose, few teams are playing with quite the same disadvantages as the Oilers — even with the greatest advantage of all on their roster: Connor McDavid.
Connor McDavid spent All-Star Media Day on the hot seat. (Getty Images)
So does this concern the commissioner?
Is the NHL troubled by the fact that the future of the game has been grounded by the missteps of his franchise?
The short answer is no.
"To suggest the Edmonton Oilers are in disarray or in trouble is a gross overstatement, that franchise is well owned, well run, but they have some issues to deal with," Bettman said at his annual All-Star appearance.
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Listen, even if the commissioner was furious over the fact that his future LeBron James or Tom Brady was seemingly destined to miss the postseason for a third time in his four seasons, let alone headed toward a mini teardown under new leadership, he wasn't going to admit it.
Then again, Bettman has had the opportunity to showcase his next generational star through other avenues and declined.
Saying no to the Pyeongchang Olympics, agreeing to cancel the 2020 World Cup of Hockey, McDavid isn't just missing out on meaningful games at the professional level because of aspects and variables outside his control.
So when will we see McDavid on one of those stages next?
There's no obvious answer to that.
But those in the NHL offices don't appear to be losing sleep over it.
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