STANLEY CUP NOTES : Commissioner Vows to Check It All

Nothing old is safe. Nothing new is set.

That was the message from NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman in a Sunday news conference.

Everything from officiating to broadcasting will be examined by Bettman in his first off-season since assuming the job.

“We are not going to throw mud against the wall and see if it sticks,” Bettman said. “We are not going to experiment with the game itself. We’re going to look at everything, but we’ll be sure (any change) is buttoned down before we do it.”

On officiating: “Something that requires a penalty in the first period should require a penalty in the third period.”

On the view that Canadians are losing their game to the Americans: “That’s an unfair perception. The last time I checked, the people who preceded me were American. An increase in interest in the U.S. does not have to be offset by a decrease in Canada.”

On broadcast rights: “We are not just trying to nail a big, fat television contract. We are interested in exposure. If the dollars flow from that, so much the better.”

On further expansion: “We are not in an expansion mode. We first have to make sure our house is in order.”

On a new collective-bargaining agreement with the players: “We are not anticipating any problems.”

On NHL owners: “They are better than I was led to believe.”