Some more details have come out regarding what Gary Bettman discussed on this afternoon’s NHL Live. Inside of the usual “people’re making up rumors” comments, and his justification of his fight to keep a team in Phoenix, Bettman addresses ownership and reminds everyone that when people didn’t want to own a team in Winnipeg or Quebec City, they moved. Unfortunately, Bettman misunderstands the amount of time that the Atlanta Spirit have been trying to sell the Thrashers. They’ve been trying for a long period, yes, but have only been fully able to try to sell upon the conclusion of the Belkin fiasco. That’s less time than the ’Yotes were on the market.
Also, Bettman reminds everyone that if there’s going to be a press conference, they’re announcing it, dammit!
“I’ve gotten requests from the media by e-mail today to confirm that we have a press conference scheduled tomorrow to make an announcement. I know somebody started that rumor. I have no press conferences scheduled for either tonight or tomorrow, and if we ever have something to announce, we’ll announce it. But I really think all of this speculation is really inappropriate under all the circumstances, and it’s not fair. If something happens then we’ll deal with it at the time and we’ll make the appropriate announcement.”