Could Gary Bettman repeat the biggest scandal in sports history?

You may not know this about current NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman, but before he was the last word in all decisions made in the NHL, he was one of the men responsible for the resurgence for the modern National Basketball Association. Gary Bettman worked closely alongside former NBA Commissioner David Stern. David Stern is most remembered for his alleged involvement in rigging the 1985 NBA Draft. According to NBA legend, Commissioner David Stern reached in to the lottery bin, and allegedly drew a pre-frozen envelope bearing the name of the New York Knicks. Patrick Ewing was the clear-cut number one pick, and would draw extra attention to an already struggling franchise. Stern hoped that this first round pick would ignite the market in New York City. Patrick Ewing would go on to be one of the NBA's most touted stars, for years to come. Ewing would not only become a household name in the NBA, he would also go on to win Olympic Gold for the United States in 1984 (Los Angeles) and 1992 (Barcelona).     We now turn our attention to the Arizona/Phoenix Coyotes, a team formerly owned by the NHL. A franchise with sub-par ticket sales, currently trapped within the confines of Glendale, AZ. A team who's only legitimate ownership prospect came from wealthy Blackberry owner Jim Ballsillie, only to have NHL commissioner Gary Bettman veto the sale in light of differences regarding relocation of the team. Once again the reality of the economic situation for the Coyotes has come to the forefront, a recent report from Lary Brooks of the New York Post has suggested that once again the team's ownership is less than certain. From Brooks:

Remember how a few short weeks ago Andrew Barroway was on the verge of gaining majority control of the Coyotes, the news first reported by The Post?

Not so fast, for now comes word from a plugged-in source that the deal appears to be falling apart, with Barroway seemingly on the verge of backing out.

Slap Shots has been told the current ownership has directed GM Don Maloney to shed payroll … which would mean stripping the club with the league’s third-lowest payroll into a bare-bones operation.

Who could be going in addition to Keith Yandle (at $5.2 million per season through next year)? Not Shane Doan? Not Oliver Ekman-Larsson?

The equally pertinent question, though, is which will come first: the end of the NHL’s financial problems in the desert or the end of Coyotes?

  Remember the last time the NHL had an American franchise in dire financial straights, the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2005, they organized an unprecedented draft lottery. The lottery which was held behind closed doors at a secure location resulted in the Pittsburgh Penguins getting their 2nd 1st overall pick in just 3 years, that pick would go on to be Sidney Crosby. Needless to say drafting Crosby would be the first piece of a major turn around for the Penguins, who have become one of the more successful NHL franchises in the past few years.   It's not hard to see the similarities between David Stern and Gary Bettman, it's also not very difficult to see the similarities between the 1985 NBA draft and the 2005 NHL draft. With the prospect of another franchise on the verge of financial ruin the NHL, would it surprise anyone to see the Phoenix Coyotes end up with the #1 overall pick? A pick that would almost certainly be Connor McDavid, a player with even more expectations surrounding him than the aforementioned Crosby. Would Gary Bettman be willing to follow in the footsteps of his mentor and repeat one of the biggest controversies in the recent sports history?