NHL Lockout 2012: Should Commissioner Gary Bettman Be Fired? Called 'Cancer' by Versteeg

The NHL met on Tuesday and indications point to the fact that there will be another meeting on Wednesday that will showcase the new NHLPA offer.

"I can confirm that we will be meeting [Wednesday] morning," Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly told NHL.com. "I don't know about the substance and I have no expectations."

However, the negotiations remain contentious, particularly after Florida Panthers' forward called Commissioner Gary Bettman a cancer this weekend. "I'm really frustrated," Versteeg said on a TSN 1050 interview on Monday. "It's not good. You do try to look at the best-case scenarios moving forward once the CBA does get done, and you've gotta look for the cancers and you've gotta cut out the cancers and I think that when you look at Bill Daly and Bettman, they've been polluting this game for far too long."

Attacking Bettman is nothing new. Ian White of the Detroit Red Wings recently called him "an idiot" and that "Since he's come in, I think he's done nothing but damage the game."  Additionally, the commissioner has long drawn the ire of the fans who for years have made it a tradition to boo Gary Bettman anytime he makes an appearance at an NHL event including the draft or the Stanley Cup Final. There is an even a website dedicated to blasting Bettman called FireBettman.com. The DVC Shooting Center in Vancouver even made him a target for its customers so that thye may release their frustrations from the current lockout. But is hatred justified?

Bettman became the NHL's first commissioner in 1993, replacing Gil Stein who was the last league president. Since his tenure began, the league has suffered three different lockouts including one in 2004-05 that nullified the season completely. In 1994-95, the league went through a 104 day lockout over an attempt by the league to limit player salaries and impose a salary cap and arbitration.

In 2004-05 issues over player salaries forced the NHL to be the first North American League to cancel an entire season. After that lockout, he was lauded as one of the top business managers for his role in bringing "cost certainty" to the league. He also got the league into a new long-term TV contract with the NBC Sports Network as well as a deal with XM Satellite Radio to promote the league. During the current negotiations, he also taken the high road and ignored the statements by stating that harsh comments are common in tense disputes.

"By the way, I love the players," Bettman said. "Nobody should think for a moment that I don't." One of the current sources of discontent actually benefitted the players: Bettman's decision to expand the league from 26 to 30  teams. This has given 92 players jobs, but has also increased the amount of people involved in the disputes on both sides, thus slowing the negotiations. 

However, these positives are all but remembered with this new lockout. The problem seems to be that for the third time in his tenure, billionaires and millionaires are once again battling over their salaries and whether or not they are getting a fair share of the pie. The NHL has repeatedly stated that they are willing to look for a 50/50 split on the HRR, but the NHLPA has been annoyed with their insistence on limiting player contracting rights to five years, and moving the age of unrestricted free agency to age 28 or eight seasons of experience rather than age 27, stipulated under current rules.

Bettman has been relatively quiet throughout the proceedings with Daly talking to the press. Versteeg's attack is a major one and it seems that many constituents of the opposing party have not much respect for the commissioner.

Some questions prompted out of this situation are: Could a change in the figure head to someone viewed favorably turn things around for the league? Even if the negotiations are resolved without eliminating the entire season, the tension may linger and cause a fourth lockout in the future. Can the league afford anymore embarrassing circumstances such as these? The NHL's Board of Directors may need to start considering a new man for the job; a man that can bring a better image to the game. Bettman has done his share, but has been marred with a poor relationship with the NHLPA and an inability to facilitate CBA negotiations.