Anyone see that coming? I am sure he has done something good for the league but I just hate that guy. lol
That depends on perspective.
If you're an owner, he brought you cost certainty, and allowed for much of the parity we have among teams in the league now. He helped with new TV contracts, even if it meant being relegated to something called "Outdoor Life Network" in the States until it ultimately became NBC Sports via Versus. He brought expansion to non-traditional markets to mixed results. He's raised the league's revenues exponentially and done much to ensure the ongoing viability of the NHL - especially in the US. And while he by no means pioneered it, the "You Can Play" message and its integration into "Hockey is for Everyone" is huge, and I'm not sure there's any other major sport with a similar initiative (I genuinely do not know).
He took a lot of risks that backfired. He's averaged a big lockout once a decade, including the one that wiped out all of 2004-05. The expansion to Atlanta, which was ultimately righted in a move to Winnipeg - the same city that saw its original Jets leave to become the chronically troubled Phoenix, later Arizona Coyotes.
Ultimately, I think the league and game have benefited with him in charge. The legacy is always going to be mixed because he did cost us so much hockey, and he's always been about the owners first. However, taking a look at Vegas - a non-traditional market with an obvious thirst for sports, he brought them their first major professional sports team among the big 4 leagues, ensured he had the right ownership group, and gouged then $500M for the privilege - up from $80M for the first team he brought in, the Nashville Predators. While no one could have anticipated the tragedy, healing, and success in their first season, Vegas was the perfect Bettman move. And I think he's being honored far too soon for it.
