Gary Bettman has often drawn criticism as the NHL’s commissioner, but Keith says he deserves more credit than he gets, especially after the success of the Stadium Series at MetLife Stadium.
“I don’t know if you guys rock with him as a commissioner, but I think he’s in a higher standing than Roger Goodell, Adam Silver, or Rob Manfred,” Keith said. “Especially if you look at how the NHL is being perceived, how we’re talking about hockey right now.
“I tip my cap to him for the Stadium Series we just witnessed.”
Hockey is often seen as the bottom of the four major sports in terms of interest, but Keith says the sport does a great job of keeping fans engaged through the season, and does a better job than other sports in terms of All-Star festivities, or special events like the Stadium Series. Some of that has to be credited to Bettman’s efforts.
“He spoke a lot during the coverage on NHL Network,” Keith said. “The things they’re doing, he’s knocking them down and not thinking about them, because they’re always on to the next. They’re always trying to keep hockey alive and pushing through the All-Star Game, the All-Star break, then the Stadium Series, and then the Stanley Cup playoffs. I give him a lot of credit for the work that he’s done.”