NHL general manager Gary Bettman and assistant commissioner Bill Daly stepped in front of the media in Tampere on Saturday. There were also difficult questions.
20:40•Updated 20:44
Gary Bettman started the occasion by pouring out all possible compliments from Finnish and Tampere hockey. The NHL boss, who has seen everything, praised Tampere’s new arena and profusely thanked Ilves and Tappara for borrowing it. Finally, Bettman turned over his notepad and realized that he had already said everything important.
It was the turn of questions.
The first important topic concerned who signed with the Boston Bruins Mitchell Miller. Miller bullied a dark-skinned boy with developmental disabilities at school. It included both violence and racist insults. Arizona booked Miller before, but when the matter came up a couple of years ago, the club waived its rights to the player.
However, Boston decided to give the player another chance, even though he reportedly hasn’t even apologized face to face to the victim.
– We cannot accept what he did when he was young. Miller can’t play in the NHL until we give it our approval, there is none at this point. If Boston sends him to play somewhere else, that’s the league’s problem, Bettman said.
According to the NHL bosses, the league needs to get a lot more information about the player and his improved habits before the license to play is released.
– Boston also did not consult us in any way before they made the contract, Bettman surprised.
Bettman was also asked when the NHL will start taking brain injuries in the sport seriously. CTE diseases, which are proven to be caused by repeated concussions, have been talked about in the sport for a long time.
The NHL has refused to trust the research results obtained. It has emphasized that it conducts investigations through its own channels. This was Bettman’s quick line now as well. When the so-called further pressure was not given, the league once again got away like a dog from a corner with a difficult topic.
After recovering from the brain injuries, the Russia card appeared on the table. Bettman offered a light-hearted answer to Ovechkin’s Putin connections and Russians playing in the NHL in general.
– The Russians in the league represent their own clubs, not Russia. Many of them have family in Russia, so the situation is difficult for them. I do not know Alexander Ovechkin about relations with Putin, but what I do know is that he plays for the Washington Capitals, not Russia.
In the follow-up question, we wanted to know if the NHL had the intention of including Russia in the World Cup it planned for 2024. The NHL had previously relaxed its position regarding Russia, but now it tightened its grip.
– We haven’t said anything other than that we will work with these things. We haven’t made any decisions, Bettman dodged.
– We have discussed the matter, but we do not have a solution yet, deputy commissioner Bill Daly by your side.