Big doings in the world of SlapShot Radio as today we roll out our new website. Huge thanks to Kris Martel of Morning Cactus Designs and to SSR’s PR person, organizer and Chief Idea Officer, Denise McCann for all their hard work in getting the new website designed, up and running. Denise and I are proud to welcome Kris to the fold as our new webmaster. As the season approaches will we introduce more new members of the SlapShot Radio family.

Now… on to today’s subject…

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On this day that training camp officially opens I find an interesting dichotomy going on in the world of the NHL. Gary Bettman has been the commissioner of the NHL for 17+ years. He has led the league through different labor struggles, has grown league revenues by a factor of five during his tenure, he has grown the league’s footprint both nationally and internationally, he has defended struggling Canadian teams (Vancouver, Edmonton, Ottawa, Calgary) with innovative initiatives like the Canadian Assistance Program and overseen the expansion of the league to 30 teams. After all of this success, you constantly hear him criticized for one thing (besides not being Canadian)...

He came from the NBA.

It’s true, Commissioner Bettman spent 12 years working for the NBA. But he’s been a hockey executive longer. Now this is not supposed to be a blog about Bettman, we all know there are different opinions about his tenure as commissioner and all of them have validity, but the whole "he came from the NBA" thing is a weak arguement at best and silly at worst… but it does do something... it points out an elephant in the room of the NHL.

If it truly is a problem that Gary Bettman came from the NBA… if that truly identifies a fundamental issue with his tenure as commissioner… and let’s face it… to read many writers in The Hockey News, the Globe and Mail and some other “traditional” hockey media, it is a huge problem… if we grant that point... then I have to pose a question…

Why have I not seen a single member of the mainstream media mention as a problem that Donald Fehr, the proposed new head of the NHLPA is… GASP!!!! a baseball guy? (cue dramatic music sting...)

I’ve seen gushing, sappy love letters to Fehr from some of the very same writers that have constantly berated Gary Bettman’s NBA background. I do recognize that sometimes writers (myself included) can’t see past their own bias at times… which seems to be the case here...

But it is a big fat hairy hypocrisy that needs to be called out. This could be fun to watch, a baseball guy fighting with a basketball guy over hockey players.

Let the games begin.

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Random Notes

- Prayers going out to the family of Pat Burns, reports indicate that he is clos to losing his long battle with cancer.

- Congratulations to Joel Quinneville on his three year extension in Chicago. Well deserved. I have believed that the firing of Quinneville began the demise of the St. Louis Blues that still has not been recovered from fully.

- Looks like Brian Gionta is going to be named captain in Montreal. Good move IMHO.

- Adam Proteau in the Hockey News is actually picking the Preds to make the playoffs, one of the few in the MSM … damn, he discovered the dastardly Nashville plot of being completely underrated.

- Glad to see fellow bloggers Dirk Hoag (On the Forecheck) and Jeremy Gover (Section303.com) helping to paint the ice yesterday at the Bridge… We still need to blame Dirk if there are too many offside calls due to his particularly warped vision… :-)

- The Preds first on ice session of training camp will be tomorrow at Centennial Sportsplex… first scrimmage is scheduled for Sunday.

- 22 days till Opening Night.

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You are invited to follow me on Twitter. Search for PredPAPaul… Not only will I be updating when I get news or updates… I’ll also be updating with starting lineups and scratches during Pred home games, also I’ll be supplying information and explanations from the PA box.

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COMING UP ON THE NEXT SLAPSHOT RADIO…

SlapShot Radio is on hiatus until our NHL Preview show on October 6th… however, pre-season advertising specials are available. Join our returning advertisers who already know, advertising on SlapShot Radio is a cost-effective way to reach out to hockey fans all over North America. Send me an email at [email protected] and I’ll get you information on joining the SlapShot Radio family.

The show has also put together a road trip for Pred Nation… watch out Carolina, we’re headed your way this year. We’ve set up a bus trip to go see the Preds and Canes tangle on November 20th. We got the bus, the tickets and hotels available… check it out at SlapShot Radio’s Facebook page. We’ve already filled one bus and are efforting another… stay tuned.

For the most updated guest information go to the SlapShot Radio website.

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