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NHL CHINA GAMES: BRUINS VS FLAMES

September 15, 2018

Gary Bettman

Shenzhen, China

COMMISSIONER BETTMAN: Greetings, everyone. On baffle of the National Hockey League, I would like to say it's wonderful to be here in Shenzhen, China, at this beautiful facility, the Shenzhen University Sports Center.

Today, as I think you all know, the NHL will play its third ever pre-season game in China when the Boston Bruins will meet the Calgary Flames.

Last September, the Los Angeles Kings and the Vancouver Canucks made history when they became the first teams to ever play NHL games in China. You may recall the Kings defeated the Canucks 5-2 in Shanghai and 4-3 in a shootout in Beijing in front of two enthusiastic crowds.

I'd like to thank our partners at the players association as well as our then partners Bloomage and O.R.G. Packaging, and a special thanks to the Longgang District for its hospitality and support.

This wouldn't be possible without the participation and cooperation of our clubs and the players, so I thank them, particularly the Bruins and Flames organizations and the players.

I also want to recognize our media partners in China, CCTV and (indiscernible).

In addition to the games this year we look forward to a variety of initiatives away from the rink that are intended to entertain and educate generations of Chinese players and fans. This includes fan events, got one going on outside, and special appearances including the first-ever visit to mainland China and Hong Kong by the Stanley Cup.

We are continuing our commitment to grow and develop the game of hockey in China. The NHL and our participating clubs are taking part in clinics and coaching programs this month. These programs will help participants increase their ability and develop their knowledge of our game, all while learning the important life skills that hockey delivers.

With the help of the Chinese government and the ice hockey association for these teaching programs and the ability for us to showcase the best hockey players in the world in China. We know we are certain we can help grow the sport here in China.

We're looking forward to an entertaining game here today, and for all the fans in the building, watching here in China and around the world, to have a great hockey experience. We are equally looking forward to the game in Beijing at the Cadillac Arena on Wednesday.

With that I thank you all for being here, and I'm happy to take any questions.

Q. If ever a Chinese-born player makes it to the league as a player, what would it mean both for the league and its Chinese fan base? What kind of infrastructure do you think the country would need to help produce a local player?
COMMISSIONER BETTMAN: I don't think it's a question of if, it's more a question of when. There are great athletes that are developed in all sports in China, particularly with the amazingly large population.

While we're here playing games and giving the game exposure, and while CCTV and (indiscernible), there are a double-digit number of games available every week.

What's really the most important thing we can do, and with the assistance of the Chinese government, and our assistance to them, the China ice hockey association is developing grassroots programs, kids learning how to skate, learning the rules and the skills of the game.

But I think it's off to a great start. The practice rink adjoining this building, there's been a youth hockey tournament going on for the last few days. The number of young people and families that are knowledgeable about the game is surprising to me. It's something we've learned over the last two years. It's only going to increase as the number of ice surfaces that are being built increases.

So it's really about infrastructure, it's about clinics, it's about building the game at the grassroots. As I said to the coaches clinic yesterday, they're actually the key to this. Having knowledgeable coaches who can teach the game is as important as anything else we do.

Q. You mentioned the coaching clinics being the most important thing. What are the future plans to continue to develop coaching specifically?
COMMISSIONER BETTMAN: We're going to be doing more and more and more of everything, whether it's children's clinics, whether it's coaching clinics. We're going to continue playing the games. It's about exposure to the game and teaching young people at an early age the fundamentals of the game.

We're fortunate because there are a number of retired players, former assistant coaches, head coaches, who are interested in having the experience of coming to China and conducting these clinics.

Our translator did a remarkable job yesterday of showing all of the ins-and-outs of the drill in translation. It was a joy to watch.

Q. There was a story last year that Phil Esposito said that the NHL blew it with their marketing of the games in China.
COMMISSIONER BETTMAN: Who said that?

Q. Phil Esposito.
COMMISSIONER BETTMAN: I didn't know he was an expert on marketing or marketing in China, but okay.

Q. I wanted your read on how things went last year. Is that a fair comment? On that same question, were there any specific revenue targets, sort of commercial goals, that you'd like to get out of this exhibition match?
COMMISSIONER BETTMAN: The games last year were by any measure a success. The crowds were enthusiastic. Based on the feedback we got from our business partners in terms of other sports leagues' experiences in the first instance, these games were more than up to par.

I don't remember Phil being at the games, to be honest. But the measure for us is their continued interest and engagement, is the game growing, particularly at the grassroots level, is viewership increasing on CCTV. All the vital signs in that regard are good. I'm told there's a pretty good crowd outside at the FanFest.

You don't introduce a new sport to a country overnight. You have to do it over the long-term. That's what we're committed to.

But based on all the feedback we've gotten and the meetings I've had over the last two days with our partners, they're thrilled with what they're seeing.

Q. About the Olympics, I know you've spoken about this at length. I wanted to know if anything about your thinking has changed? As the Olympics approach, can you comment on to what extent the NHL's own commercial interests might weigh into the calculus?
COMMISSIONER BETTMAN: There's a long time between now and 2022. Am I comfortable with the decision we made with respect to Pyeongchang? Absolutely. Our season was not disrupted. We actually had a terrific season.

If you're a fan of hockey in Germany, you had a great Olympics because I don't think the German team gets to the gold medal game if NHL players are playing. So there are a whole host of ways to view the game on any matrix.

From our standpoint, what we're committed to doing here in China is about growing the game. You can have a long debate over whether or not our participation over two weeks in 2022 is going to make a difference in that regard. The fact of the matter is, going to the Olympics is terribly disruptive to our season. No other professional sport in North America would do it.

The opportunities to promote the fact that we're a part of the game are nonexistent because of the way the IOC treats our participation. There's a long time for us to focus on that, but we've been extremely comfortable with the fact that we didn't participate in Korea.

While I tried to give you an expansive answer, this is for social media and digital platforms. 2022 is still a long way off and we haven't made any decisions. So if it sounds like I slammed the door, that wasn't what I was intending to do. What I was intending to do is explain where we are and what the considerations are. People have heard me do that constantly. But 2022 is a long way off and lots of things can happen between now and then.

Q. Given the importance of the Olympics here, would it be a major negative blow if the NHL wasn't participating here with the best hockey players in the world?
COMMISSIONER BETTMAN: As I said before, all the efforts that we're going to put in to grow the game of hockey won't be defined by a two-week Olympic tournament in 2022. If we're going to consider going, there are a lot of things about participating in the Olympics and how we're treated that will have to be addressed.

What's interesting, though, I was here about 18 months ago and had a series of meetings, including with the minister of sport. In all of those meetings when we talked about getting started, nobody asked about 2022. Everybody was more focused on our commitment to help build and develop the game.

We recognize the importance of the Olympics, also in China. We also understand the importance of the integrity of our season. That's something that we'll ultimately have to get balanced again. There's no disputing that it is disruptive to our season by participating in any winter games in the middle of our season.

So I hope with these long answers and explanations that my response is treated as balanced as I'm intending it to be.

Q. Hockey live is obviously important for growing the game. Seeing the best players in the world is important, too. Beyond these pre-season games, are there any plans right now for the regular season, how can you increase this presence year-round?
COMMISSIONER BETTMAN: That's a great question. We wanted to start with small steps. It's obviously easier to deal with the travel issues by scheduling in the pre-season and giving the participating teams a little bit of a head start, which is what we've been able to do.

I think at some point we will get to the stage where we'll be considering regular season games. My guess is, although we haven't had the full discussions that we have to have internally and with the players, but I think if it's going to happen, it would probably be at the beginning of the season so that we can spread things out and get the players back to play their schedule.

Q. Has there yet been a commitment to come back next year for pre-season games? Beyond that, what is the level of interest you've seen from teams that haven't come yet? Are they asking to come?
COMMISSIONER BETTMAN: Yes. Our teams across the board are focused on playing games outside of North America, whether or not pre-season or regular season. There's no shortage of not only volunteers but clubs that are anxious to participate in part because it's a great experience for the players, a terrific overall experience for the players.

Our intention is to come back and play games next year. We've already started having informal discussions with our partners here, both O.R.G. and Bloomage. Bloomage is in the process of opening a new arena sometimes this month. We are already talking about what the future holds. Not surprising because we're here for the games, but a number of us are here to talk to, work with, and have discussions with our business partners so we are focused on what comes next.

Q. Knowing how much these games could mean to you, what has your experience been like of watching them come to fruition and happening last year?
COMMISSIONER BETTMAN: A great deal of credit goes to -- all our credit goes to our people who run international, David Proper, Steve Mayer. The logistics of putting on games in places outside of North America, it's quite substantial. You sometimes find yourself in situations where you can't control everything in the same way you'd like to in the course of our regular season playoffs.

But the experience that I get to witness in terms of interaction with fans, with business partners, and with our players, I happen to be in the same hotel as one of our teams, and 'the players are enjoying the experience' doesn't really say it enough. It's a unique experience. Most of the players and our team personnel haven't been to China before. It's really special. I think they're viewing it that way.

So I'm excited that they're excited. I'm excited that we have lots of teams that want to participate. I think the NHL's personnel that are responsible for conducting the logistics of moving players and equipment, everything imaginable, around, with all of the issues just in terms of some countries are run different than other countries, language and cultural barriers, I think they've done an incredible job.

What will happen is with each experience we have, we'll learn more and get even better. We have spoken to other sports that have introduced themselves to new markets. It's always a challenge at the beginning, but you work hard at it and you make it as good as you can. We think the experience has been really good.

Q. Can you explain a bit more on why the NHL chose Shenzhen as location for one of the games?
COMMISSIONER BETTMAN: You sound one of the journalists from North America who questions why we have teams in Florida, Dallas, Arizona, southern California.

The fact is you don't have to be in a cold weather climate to be a fan of the game, to be excited about the game, to enjoy the game.

Frankly, the reception we've gotten here in Shenzhen, the local district has been an incredible host and cooperative. When you see the arena, it's going to provide a great fan experience. For us, we thought this made perfect sense as we try to reach out to more and more fans throughout China.

Thank you. Enjoy the game.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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