Key Bullet Points Through Days 1 & 2 of NHL's Board of Governors Meetings

The NHL's Board of Governors are holding their annual meeting in sunny South Florida this week, and we have received lots to consider through the first two days. Gary Bettman's popularity among fans and owners is a Dickens-like Tale of Two Cities.

Fans and agents alike tend to hold contempt for the NHL Commissioner, but the league's 32 ownership groups - for the most part - love Gary Bettman and all he has done to grow the league and the game. At the commencement of this week's proceedings, Bettman received a long standing ovation from the Board of Governors, celebrating his tenure as NHL Commissioner.

Days one and two have featured lots of key information about the imminent future of the NHL. Salary cap, rule changes, you name it; they're discussing it. Here are some key elements to keep up on during the proceedings:

1. 2024 Winter Olympics - Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly said that NHL players' participation is 'not ironclad,' especially if the league doesn't receive its typical conditions. Those criteria include insurance, travel costs, etc.

2. 2023-24 Salary Cap - Gary Bettman says that the expectation at the moment is a $1 million increase in the cap for next season, barring any abrupt increases in revenue this season.

Much of this expected increase rests in the hands of big market/revenue teams like the Toronto Maple Leafs, Edmonton Oilers, New York Rangers, Boston Bruins and the like. If any of these teams are able to make deep playoff runs, the chances of raising the bar further gets better and better; if not, it could spell trouble. Bettman wouldn't comment further, as negotiations are always sensitive.

3. Play-in/Wild Card Series - one idea that has gained traction among fans and organizations alike is the idea of instituting a play-in or Wild Card series before the playoffs as a mechanism to generate more revenue. While there is no consensus on the matter, many (in AND out of the league) are fond of the idea.

Gary Bettman, however, is staunchly against it and has zero intention of adopting any such feature. Elliotte Friedman even said that some within the league who are afraid to broach the subject with Bettman in fear that they could wind up on his bad side.

4. Ottawa Senators' pending sale - Bettman also reported that more than a dozen interested parties have signed non-disclosure agreements to peruse the Senators' books, indicating a serious demand. The league met with Ryan Reynolds earlier this week, and reports surfaced that the NHL really, really wants Reynolds to be apart of the Sens' ownership. Whether or not that has become a contingency is unknown - for now.

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