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" I believe, certainly in the NHL, a player who can help a team win because he can contribute on the ice is going to be coveted whatever his beliefs may be or whoever he may be. That goes to national origin, religious beliefs, or sexuality. "

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" We're certainly not in position to expand into the East. We've been very candid and up front that if, in fact, we go through an expansion process, the world will know about it. "

Gary Bettman

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" While players say they like the five-day break, they're also saying they don't like the compression that goes along with it, and that's something that is of great concern to us as well. "

Gary Bettman

Well

Saying

" I'm not here to win a popularity contest. "

" On the issue of behavioral health and the like, the program we have in place has always been available to former players as well. "

" I know when you're in the business of cover sports, you look for 60-minute games and a result. It's never that simple. "

" There are lots of come-from-behind wins, games getting tied in the last period, teams going on to win. That, I think, tells the best story. Whether or not some teams have more grit, better chemistry, or more luck or more skill, it's still within the parameters. I think that makes for great storytelling and great interest for our fans. "

" It's not about big markets or small markets. It's not about dominant teams or not. It's about the actual competition and how good the games are, how good the series turn out. That's what I think is the most important for fans. "

" Doing jersey advertising for the World Cup is not in the same universe as putting advertising on NHL sweaters. "

" If you're a sports fan, it is really cool when you see the best-on-best for hockey at the Olympics. "

" I don't see the Hurricanes relocating, period. I think the Triangle is a terrific market. "

" Having to respond to things that are made up or untrue tends to be a waste of time. "

Gary Bettman

Things

Waste

" Because of the way my words get scrutinized, I have to use a level of precision so people don't accuse me of misleading them. "

Gary Bettman

Words

Way

" If you want to know how I feel, I'll summarize it in one word - terrible. "

" I couldn't do what I do day-in and day-out if I didn't love the game. "

" Whatever you do needs to be sustainable over time, and taking the money in the short term and taking it in a bubble - like buying an Internet stock in 2000 - may not be sustainable. "

" Fighting is one of those things that gets tons of attention, far more than it deserves. "

Gary Bettman

Attention

Things

" I believe that the Greater Phoenix Area is a terrific sports market; it's a terrific hockey market. "

" It takes two sides to make a deal, two sides to negotiate and two sides to make it go bad. "

Gary Bettman

Deal

Sides

" From as early as I can remember, I was focused on becoming a lawyer. "

" Obviously, we're focused on the Winter Classic. "

" I don't worry about the integrity of the game. Our players are professionals. "

" None of our series are ever static in terms of the dates. We always have a range of flexibility to respond to whatever may or may not happen. "

" What our fans want, what our fans believe, what our fans are interested in is why we are what we are. But, nevertheless, ultimately we have to do the things that we believe are essential for the long-term health of the game, of the league, and of all of our franchises. "

" I think it's fairly clear that playing hockey isn't the same as playing football. "

" Our franchises have never been healthier. Our league, in terms of its economic footing, has never been healthier. "

" We don't want our players getting hurt. "

" The Olympics are very proprietary about letting others promote and market what's going on, so we shut down for 17 days, and they don't let us do a whole lot in return for giving our players to them. We don't get compensated, and we've never looked for compensation. "

" What we have tried to instill across the league through ownership and management is that we stand for inclusiveness and to judge somebody on the merits. "

" My message to the kids and our fans is hockey's a great game. There's a lot of hockey being played at all levels. Get involved, do it. We will be back and we will be back better than ever and hopefully as soon as possible. Don't give up on the game. It's too good. "

" In '94, we made the deal during collective bargaining that wasn't the right deal, just to save the season. Allowing the 'in the crease' rule, the foot-in-the-crease rule, we should have not done. "