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NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman is used to getting booed at public events but he received a warm welcome to Saskatchewan on Friday before the Heritage Classic.
He spoke at a luncheon hosted by the Chamber of Commerce and Regina Exhibition Association Limited (REAL) with members of the Calgary Flames and Winnipeg Jets along with NHL alumni.
It’s not often the NHL comes to Saskatchewan and the Heritage Classic is the first NHL outdoor game held on neutral ground.
Although there is no NHL team in Saskatchewan, the province has left its mark on the league. A short video shown at the luncheon featured several Saskatchewan-born players who have played in the league over the years.
Bettman said the league chose Saskatchewan for the Heritage Classic because “it’s a place where hockey matters.” The crowd gave a round of applause, to which he said: “You can keep doing that because it doesn’t happen too often.”
“The reception here has been phenomenal. There are great hockey fans here. Hockey is alive and well at all levels of the game,” Bettman told reporters.
The league anticipates a great event and Bettman said everything he’s seen upon arriving in Regina leads him to believe the league’s judgment was right.
For fans in Saskatchewan who have only watched games from afar, the outdoor NHL game at Mosaic Stadium provides them with a live atmosphere they’ve never experienced before.
“It’s an honour to be here to share the game with fans, who might not as frequently get to see our game,” said Bettman.
As the NHL expands to Seattle starting in 2021-22, the commissioner was asked about the chances of the league expanding into Saskatchewan at some point, specifically Saskatoon.
“It’s something we’re not focused on right now. We’re going to get to 32 teams and, at least for the foreseeable future, hold at that number and then after that, who knows,” said Bettman.
For Saturday’s game at Mosaic Stadium, Winnipeg plays as the home team but Bettman knows where he is and how the real home team never leaves.
“We’ll see Jets colours, we’ll see Flames colours and we’ll see green,” said Bettman.
