re: Best team in the NHL?

You know I don't like Bettman, but let's not rewrite history. when Bettman took over, the NHL was in terrible shape in the US and it was quite literally impossible to watch a nationally broadcast hockey game. there was no national carrier. It was even a challenge to find the Stanley Cup finals, which aired on syndication. And while Bettman certainly screwed over some Canadian cities, some of his expansion did work: Colorado and Dallas were undeniable successes (and Carolina and San Jose has also been a qualified successes). He reached too far, most notably the Phoenix fiasco, but at least he wasn't as inert as Zeigler.

Bettman's been at least willing to fix what ails the game. The clutch and grab style of the late 90s was pretty unappealing, and he has overseen the revamping of the rulebook: the elimination of the two-line pass rule, delayed offsides, enforcement of interference, limiting goalie pads, and the trapezoid. His first tinkering with the standings were terrible, but has eventually settled on a method to open up overtime and reduce ties.

Yes, getting rid of the old divisions was awful, but Bettman has made some good changes. The tinkering with the All Star Game is frankly, pretty cool. The Winter Classic has taken advanatge of college football's absolute incompetence. Pro players in the Olympics has been a godsend (as has the World Cup of Hockey). NHL enjoys higher attendence than the NBA absent Phoenix and Florida.

Bettman needs to be fired, but his reign has more successes than Zeigler's. I don't like Bettman, but he's been a far better commish than Zeigler, who was dangerously inert.