Bettman appoints himself as ruler of who can and can’t play in Stanley Cup Playoffs

After problems with the MLB and NBA, Bettman makes it clear: Go to the strip club and you're out.

HockeyFeed
HockeyFeed
Published 3 years ago
Bettman appoints himself as ruler of who can and can’t play in Stanley Cup Playoffs
Zuma Press

In case you missed the news in the NBA this past weekend, Los Angeles Clippers guard Lou Williams was somehow allowed to return to his team’s “bubble” after venturing out to visit a “gentleman’s club” during an excused absence. 

So… the guy split for a few hours, went to the strip club and waltzed back into the bubble like nothing had happened? Not cool. Oh… and then the NBA also acted like nothing had happened. Not cool either.

If the NBA continues to allow players to blatantly break the rules of their “bubble” then there’s frankly no way the league will be able to complete their season. I mean, just look at what has happened in the MLB by choosing not to create a bubble for itself and its players.

In his latest 31 Thoughts column for Sportsnet, NHL insider Elliotte Friedman commented on the controversy in the NBA caused by Williams and he spoke to NHL commissioner Gary Bettman about what the league might do if put in a similar situation.

Check it out: 

I was very surprised the NBA let Los Angeles Clippers guard Lou Williams return after he went to a, uh, gentleman’s club during an excused absence. The NHL’s Stage IV protocols threaten stiff penalties (fines, draft picks) for teams whose players violate bubble sanctity, and Bettman made it very clear during one Zoom call that he wouldn’t hesitate to use them because so much money could be wasted by carelessness. In any case, it’s a good thing there are no such clubs in Edmonton or Toronto….

So… what does Bettman have in store for NHL players who excuse themselves to visit the club? Well, they’ll have to deal with him personally.

Bettman, asked who had the ultimate authority to decide if a player is fit to play: “Well, I guess in the final analysis it may be me, but I’m going to defer to the medical people, both from the governmental authorities and our own medical people in conjunction with the Players’ Association. I am not going to be making the medical decisions. I’ll be taking the guidance, but I suppose it’s my authority that determines ultimately who plays in our games and who doesn’t.”

You hear that NHLers? Bettman is judge, jury and executioner so be on your best behaviour. No strippers in the bubble…