AP

Gary Bettman defends NHL handling of Pride night situations

Feb 3, 2023, 11:16 PM | Updated: Feb 4, 2023, 1:18 pm

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman speaks before the NHL All-Star hockey game, Saturday, Feb. 4, 2023, i...

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman speaks before the NHL All-Star hockey game, Saturday, Feb. 4, 2023, in Sunrise, Fla. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

(AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)


              Pacific Division's Erik Karlsson, of the San Jose Sharks (65) shoots as Central Division's Josh Morrissey, of the Winnipeg Jets (44) defends during the NHL All Star hockey game, Saturday, Feb. 4, 2023, in Sunrise, Fla. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
            
              NHL hockey players stand before they are introduced before the NHL All Star Skills Showcase, Friday, Feb. 3, 2023, in Sunrise, Fla. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
            
              NHL commissioner Gary Bettman speaks before the NHL All-Star hockey game, Saturday, Feb. 4, 2023, in Sunrise, Fla. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

SUNRISE, Fla. (AP) — NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman at his state of the game news conference Saturday at All-Star Weekend defended the way the league and two teams handled situations that arose regarding Pride night celebrations.

Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Ivan Provorov did not take part in warmups Jan. 18 because he refused to wear a Pride-themed jersey. Nine days later, the New York Rangers opted not to wear Pride jerseys or use Pride stick tape as part of their night despite previously advertising they planned to do so.

Bettman said tolerance of varying viewpoints was part of being “open, welcoming and inclusive.”

“You know what our goals, our values and our intentions are across the league, whether it’s at the league level or at the club level,” he said. “But we also have to respect some individual choice, and some people are more comfortable embracing themselves in causes than others. And part of being diverse and welcoming is understanding those differences.”

Bettman said the NHL was not accepting bigotry or promoting homophobia. Provorov cited his Russian Orthodox religion for his decision, which coach John Tortorella supported, while the Rangers said in a statement: “Our organization respects the LGBTQ+ community and we are proud to bring attention to important local community organizations as part of another great Pride Night. In keeping with our organization’s core values, we support everyone’s individual right to respectfully express their beliefs.”

Bettman also revealed 2024 All-Star Weekend will take place in Toronto, addressed concerns about U.S. TV ratings and the current playoff format and provided an update on the sale process of the Ottawa Senators.

TORONTO ALL-STAR

The NHL is trading fun in the sun in South Florida for the hype and buzz of All-Star festivities in the so-called center of the hockey universe in Toronto Feb. 2-3, 2024. It’s the first time the Maple Leafs are set to host since 2000.

“Being in Toronto where hockey is so important, we may not have 80-degree temperature, but we’ve got real intensity in one of the great hockey markets in the world,” Bettman said.

The league originally planned to stage a World Cup of Hockey in February 2024, but plans fell through because of complications resulting from Russia’s war in Ukraine. Toronto hosted the 2016 World Cup and has all the infrastructure in place to make All-Star Weekend happen in a place popular among players.

“The city is always buzzing, especially for an event like this,” Leafs All-Star and Toronto area native Mitch Marner said. “It’s going to be every ready for it.”

RATINGS WOES?

Amid reports of U.S. TV ratings being down this season, Bettman said so many games streaming on ESPN+ were the cause and brushed off worries about the NHL on ESPN and TNT.

“Our ratings are fine,” Bettman said. “Let’s not get too carried away with ratings because viewership overall is up nationally.”

PLAYOFF FORMAT

Some All-Stars, including longtime face of the league Sidney Crosby, have said they would prefer going back to the old playoff format that seeded teams 1 through 8 in the Eastern and Western Conferences.

Currently, each division winner faces a wild-card opponent and second place against third, which could mean two of the top six teams in the NHL meeting in the first round and the league-leading Boston Bruins facing the winner in the second.

“The debate of 1 versus 8, it’s not just that,” Bettman said. “You’ve got to also look at then changing the wild card and you’ve got to start looking at the matchups in terms of how many times everybody’s playing everybody else if you’re having conference-based playoffs. So it’s not as simple as saying, ‘I’d like 1 versus 8’ versus what we have. It involves a whole host of other issues that have to be addressed.”

SENATORS SALE

The process of selling the Senators after the death of owner Eugene Melnyk is ongoing, with 15 or more parties involved in the application process. No matter what happens, Bettman said, the team isn’t leaving Canada’s capital and could even move to a new downtown arena.

“I want to be clear that whoever buys this club is doing so to keep it in Ottawa,” he said. “I say that so there’s no speculation.”

___

Follow AP Hockey Writer Stephen Whyno on Twitter at https://twitter.com/SWhyno

___

AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

AP

Associated Press

Ex-Packer Guion gets 1 year for domestic violence assault

GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — Former Green Bay Packers defensive tackle Letroy Guion was sentenced to one year in jail after pleading no contest in a domestic violence assault at his home last fall. Brown County Circuit Court Judge Thomas Walsh also ordered Guion on Tuesday to serve three years’ probation and complete a domestic […]

1 year ago

Joe Jarzynka...

Associated Press

Durant eager for Suns debut vs. Hornets after knee injury

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Kevin Durant has been through quite a bit during his 15-year NBA career — but joining a new team midway through the season is a new one for the 13-time All-Star. The 34-year-old Durant doesn’t seem all that worried. Durant makes his highly anticipated Phoenix Suns debut on Wednesday night against […]

1 year ago

FILE - Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores stands on the sideline during the second half of an N...

Associated Press

Judge: NFL coach can press discrimination claims in court

NEW YORK (AP) — NFL Coach Brian Flores can pursue some of his discrimination claims against the league and its teams in court rather than through arbitration, a judge ruled Wednesday. The written decision by Judge Valerie Caproni in Manhattan was issued months after lawyers for the league tried to get the lawsuit moved to […]

1 year ago

Chicago Blackhawks goaltender Alex Stalock cools off in the first period during an NHL hockey game ...

Associated Press

Kane trade reinforces hard reality of Blackhawks rebuild

CHICAGO (AP) — After days of speculation, the harsh reality of the Chicago Blackhawks’ situation was reinforced by one move in a flurry of transactions ahead of the NHL trade deadline. Showtime is over, at least in Chicago, and a seemingly bright future is, well, way off in the distance. The reverberations of Chicago’s decision […]

1 year ago

FILE -  Yves Jean-Bart, president of the Haitian Football Federation, wearing a protective face mas...

Associated Press

Disgraced ex-Haitian soccer president announces he’s back

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) — Haiti’s former soccer federation president whose lifetime ban from sport over sexual abuse allegations was overturned last month announced Wednesday that he is reclaiming his position. Yves Jean-Bart’s defiant announcement could lead to a standoff with FIFA, which already has appointed an emergency management committee to lead the Haitian Football Association […]

1 year ago

FILE - Green Bay Packers' Aaron Rodgers walks off the field after an NFL football game against the ...

Associated Press

Rodgers says decision on future will come ‘soon enough’

GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — Aaron Rodgers says he will make a decision on his future “soon enough” as the four-time MVP quarterback ponders whether to play next season and if his future remains with the Green Bay Packers. Rodgers, 39, discussed his future while speaking on an episode of the “Aubrey Marcus Podcast” that […]

1 year ago

Gary Bettman defends NHL handling of Pride night situations