Bettman needs to build off thrilling Cup final

Hockey Betting Lines

06/11/2010 - Toronto, Canada (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - It may sound cliche, but when it comes to fixing what ails the National Hockey League, there may be no better time than the present.

On the heels of the most successful NHL season in a decade and a Stanley Cup final that demonstrated all that is right with the league, it is a moment that must be captured with vigor by Commissioner Gary Bettman.

The Stanley Cup final produced a spectacular brand of hockey that has reinvigorated the Chicago Blackhawks and Philadelphia Flyers franchises, which also happen to reside in two of the game's most important markets.

Fresh-faced superstars like Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane have become household names across North America, poster boys if you will, for a new era in the NHL. An era that is seeing youth, speed and goal scoring become the defining elements of a brand that has suffered for so long.

Add already established superstars like Sidney Crosby and Alexander Ovechkin to the fold, along with a slew of talented youngsters led by the likes of Steven Stamkos and Drew Doughty, and it is safe to say that the recipe for success is a good one.

Television ratings for this latest Stanley Cup Final were remarkable in Canada and the highest in the United States since the Flyers, led by Bobby Clarke, beat out Bobby Orr and the Boston Bruins for hockey's ultimate prize in 1974. It seems unfathomable, but 1.2 out of every 10 American televisions was tuned into the Game 6 matchup on Wednesday night, demonstrating a heightened interest for the game south of the border.

Hockey is on the verge of a breakthrough, and Bettman is on the clock.

In most markets the game is thriving or at least sustainable, but a few sore spots exist that have shown little evidence of viability.

Franchises in Phoenix, Atlanta, and Florida are on life support, while there are ownership issues in other regions around the league likely spurned by the recent economic meltdown.

The remedy is simple; find owners who want to purchase these troubled franchises in cities that can sustain them, and move the teams.

The trouble is that Bettman has for years been outwardly ignorant to the possibility of relocation to Canadian markets, even when potential suitors have existed. This approach has done little for his image, and little for the game itself.

Previously spurned markets in Winnipeg and Quebec have been waiting with open arms, while southern Ontario, the world hotbed of hockey, continues to operate with the Toronto Maple Leafs as its only franchise.

Instead, Bettman has been insistent on transfers to areas like Las Vegas or Kansas City, further examining the Southern United States for relocation, as if to compound his already misguided expansion of the NHL into the United States' Sun Belt.

If only he had tried as hard to keep franchises in Winnipeg and Quebec as he has in the Desert with the Coyotes, the NHL might not be wrestling with these ugly issues.

Instead of trying to cover up the financial pitfalls of dying organizations, and sugarcoat the reasons why fans dislike or ignore the game in certain cities, Bettman needs to come clean with the realization that franchises in peril will continue to drag down the league.

As it stands, Bettman has received serious interest from prospective owners in both Winnipeg and Quebec. Mark Chipman and David Thomson of True North Sports and Entertainment made a serious pitch to buy the Phoenix Coyotes and return them to Winnipeg, and Bettman says he's heard from more than one "substantial" group in Quebec, including a pitch from media giant Quebecor.

Canadian fans need not yell from the highest hills to be heard, but rather, the league needs to do the noticing for them. There is a market in Canada for additional NHL franchises that should no longer be ignored.

The continued growth of the NHL brand and the health of the league will rest squarely on relocation to these ready-for-prime-time markets.

The positive ripple effect of the Cup finals has made this an unprecedented time to build on the current wave of momentum, and Bettman needs to right the ship once and for all.