"It's important to our players. That's why we're doing it. Listen, there are lots of reasons that I'm never thrilled about taking a couple of week break in the season. Changes a lot of things. But on balance, I think it'll be worth it, A) for the exposure, B) for the fan engagement, but C) and most importantly, this is and has always been very important to our players. And that's why we're doing this."
"We came off of 4 Nations on a high. It shows you what our players can do representing hockey and what we think is the best best-on-best in international competition."
"I think we made our position clear in terms of our response. That's not what the game is all about."
NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman acknowledged reluctance about a nearly three-week midseason break for the Milan-Cortina Olympics but stressed clear benefits. The pause aims to deliver exposure, boost fan engagement, and honor the players' strong desire to represent their countries. The league built momentum from the recent 4 Nations Face-Off and expects the Olympics to be an even bigger international showcase for best-on-best competition. The NHL condemned a penalty-filled Tampa Bay-Florida preseason game that produced 65 penalties, 13 game misconducts and 312 penalty minutes. The league suspended Scott Sabourin for four games and J.J. Moser for two games, and fined the Lightning organization $100,000.
Read at Newsday
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