Gary Bettman

“We'll have clinics and educational events and conferences to get more and more young players developing as hockey players.”

“The Canadian franchises and Canada as a market for NHL hockey has always been a priority for us.”

“Eliminating fighting would mean eliminating the jobs of the 'fighters,' meaning these guys would not have NHL careers.”

“We're certainly not in position to expand into the East. We've been very candid and up front that if, in fact, we go through an expansion process, the world will know about it.”

“If the IOC would move the Olympic hockey tournament to the summer, that would be great. We'd be thrilled to have our players participate because then it doesn't affect our season.”

“I don't worry about the integrity of the game. Our players are professionals.”

“A good fan base has developed around the Hurricanes, and I see the opportunity for continued growth for this franchise in the future.”

“Our franchises have never been healthier. Our league, in terms of its economic footing, has never been healthier.”

“It takes two sides to make a deal, two sides to negotiate and two sides to make it go bad.”

“I never rule anything in or out; life can surprise you.”

“We're concerned how gambling and betting affects the NHL game and changes the perception of and challenges the integrity of the NHL game.”

“I think it's very difficult to generalize as to why, in a particular league or a particular industry, somebody has or has not come out. We certainly don't want a player to come out for our sake. It should be what's right for him and something that he has to be comfortable with.”

“The relationship between concussions and the asserted clinical symptoms of C.T.E. remains unknown.”

“Having to respond to things that are made up or untrue tends to be a waste of time.”

“The Steelers run a great organization.”

“Young people, particularly in their teens and 20s, are not consuming sports the way my generation did. They are doing lots of things; they are multitasking. They are getting downloads; they are getting alerts on their computers or on their cellphones, and they are consuming sports in a more real-time but less full-time basis.”

“While we know gambling is part of the industry in Las Vegas, we're not going to make it all that easy for you to pick up a ticket, a gambling ticket, on your way into the arena.”

“I think it's fair to say that all of the teams that have been in the playoffs have played very physically.”

“All have used the economic opportunity of a new arena project to transform their cities into the future.”

“The good news for us is the NHL has never been stronger, never been more popular, and that, I guess, has led to a lot of interest being expressed from a number of places, an interest in getting an expansion team, and Las Vegas happens to be one of those places.”