Gary Bettman's 20-year Anniversary As NHL Commissioner: The Good, The Bad And The Unplayed

20 Years Of Gary Bettman: The Good, The Bad And The Unplayed
NHL commissioner Gary Bettman speaks to reporters after an NHL Board of Governors meeting, Wednesday, Dec. 5, 2012 in New York. The league and the players' association have cleared their schedules with progress being made in collective bargaining talks. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)
NHL commissioner Gary Bettman speaks to reporters after an NHL Board of Governors meeting, Wednesday, Dec. 5, 2012 in New York. The league and the players' association have cleared their schedules with progress being made in collective bargaining talks. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)

Do you hate Gary Bettman?

Good, because that's his job. Loather-in-chief. A sponge for your abhorrence, a deflector shield for whomever that hatred should be actually directed towards.

It's a rite of passage for a National Hockey League fan to blame every problem great or miniscule on Bettman because it feels right; Bettman is to bile as a teddy bear is to love — a magnet for such things.

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