Gary Bettman Faces Backlash Over Alleged Unfair Scheduling Against the Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs have a very unflattering schedule, as January is seemingly as bad as December; all thanks to Commissioner Gary Bettman.
Already drawing the ire of Maple Leafs fans, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman has seemingly done everything in his power to make sure that the league's most profitable franchise doesn't find the same success as their American counterparts.
With a very scattered November schedule, a brutal December slate with several back-to-back games, and a January that offers them no consolation when it comes to rest; something seems suspicious.
It's Not Just A Toronto Maple Leafs Issue
Having over a third of your schedule placed as back-to-back games seems like medieval torture for Toronto.
Given an NHL season already has so many twists and turns with injuries and struggles, the last thing a team needs is a bad schedule.
Toronto had the luxury of November when Auston Matthews was first hurt, but the winter has offered nothing of the sort, and it makes his return harder to anticipate given there's no buffer time to rest properly without having to stress about a decision.
But it's not only a Toronto issue. There is zero consistency when it comes to the way the league conducts its scheduling. Other professional leagues provide enough time for travel, rest, etc. and while there are some hiccups; it's far away from the NHL's layout.
Look at the league's deal with Amazon, a situation that has alienated a lot of fans because the exclusivity takes away from diehard fans who don't use that streaming service.
While Bettman can argue it brings in a casual and wider audience, that's not exactly true.
Yes, more people will be exposed to it but given the NHL will have a dozen games on one night and then one singular game the next day, it gives fans zero chance to enjoy the game. You can always find an NBA, MLB or NFL game on because there is consistency.
If the NHL wants to pride themselves on being the paragon of parity when it comes to scheduling and making sure they offer the best choices to fans, they really should reassess how they've done things and make a change but this time for the better.
