Real Kyper & Bourne - McDavid Takes Discount Deal + Gary Bettman Joins the Show!

Episode Date: October 6, 2025

Nick Kypreos, Justin Bourne and Sam McKee start the week reacting to the big news out of Edmonton that Connor McDavid has signed to a two-year, 12.5 AAV extension. They break down the team-friendly deal, the Oilers' next steps, and how McDavid's deal impacts other extension-eligible stars. Then they discuss the Leafs' weekend roster moves, waiving Michael Pezzetta and claiming Sammy Blais and Cayden Primeau. Later, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman joins the show (27:52) to discuss McDavid's contract, Sportico's recent franchise evaluations, the Penguins' potential ownership sale, the league's approach to further expansion, preseason feistiness, complaints about state taxes, and much more.The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliates.

How do we jam in that weekend in just one hour on the real Kipper N-Born show? Huh? I don't know. I got no answers. Just like the Yankees trying to hit Trey a Savage. This hour is going to just fly by. So we got to get to it right away. We are live on Sports at 590, The Fan, SportsSports at 650 in Vancouver.

960 in Calgary, Sportsnet Plus, and posted on Spotify, Apple, and YouTube right after the show. If you can't catch us live, I'm Nick Kiprio's, Justin Bourne, Sammy McKee, Jake the Snake Shultz, Derek Brandeo, this hour of real Kipper and Bourne brought to you by Bet365. Where do we begin? We got Connor McDavid signed in Edmonton. We got the Jays kicking some serious butt. and in about 30 minutes we're going to have the commissioner of the national hockey league Gary Batman join us oh my god what a day get your questions ready boys just yes in the meantime hockey's biggest star is staying in edmonton

connor macdavid and the oilers agree on a two-year 25 million dollar contract extension now let's just be clear yeah it's not 25 million per year. Which would not be that much of an overpay. This is $25 million in total, which quite frankly has shocked the hockey world that his Aavv of 12.5 falls so low. Like if he had taken 15.5,

I think people would have been going, hey, discount for the team. He's trying to win. 15. They'd have been like, oh, this guy left it on the table. table, 12 and a half. Holy smokes. I mean, it's arguably the biggest

intentional discount of player has ever taken aside from Crosby. He didn't get a raise. No, he's been making the same amount. This would be for 10 straight years after. He wins scoring titles. He carries a team on his back. He carries a team on his back

in playoffs, three consecutive seasons. And the man can't get a raise. Pretty cool. If you're a classic hockey dude, who loves seeing, you know, the humility and the priorities and all these things that we say we care about, pretty cool. Okay, there's a million ways that we can dissect this.

Yeah. But where, where's your first thought? Is it just the mere fact that our best player isn't the highest paid player? Uh, yeah, I mean, that is the first thought. But I guess my first thought is just holy, like I knew this guy cared about winning. But he is essentially paying millions. of his own money to teammates this upcoming year. He's saying, like Walman.

Yeah, maybe Walman, but more at the deadline when they go trade for a guy that they can then fit under the salary cap. McDavid's saying, I'll give him a couple million of my own money to make sure we get him rather than someone else getting him. And that's, I mean, it's admirable, right? First and foremost, it's on a personal level. It's very cool. I know you don't, I shouldn't say no.

I'm guessing you don't love it from an at-large team. Yeah, at the face value, I think it's important that our best players look like our best players and this salary doesn't reflect that, but we're in a different world here. And maybe we'll get Commissioner Bettman's thoughts on this world that we're in and the realities that it just doesn't happen. It's, and at the end of the day, this is Connor's call, could have signed this July 1st, could have signed it in July, August. Okay, it's October, came to the conclusion over the course of the summer and training camp that I'm not taking a dime from you, Edmonton, not a dime of a raise.

I'm going to try to talk here, boys. Okay, let's, yeah. So, McKee was at both games this weekend. Yeah, I went to both games. So where I'm at right now is a miracle of modern science. I woke up this morning, could not speak. So I'm at this point. I'm not going to get much louder than this because it'll really start to squawk.

But I got to speak up for my Toronto people here. like I'm depressed depressed because I was really starting to believe you must love the term though yeah sure but I really did think there that we were at this point that he wasn't going to sign

in all season we were going to get to do this I'm a little bit upset about it to be honest to speak to you yeah and your people yeah but it's only 24 months yeah

24 months it's not he's not he didn't sign for four or five years or or the max at age he signed two and all two did is put the world on alert we are on the clock there better be a Stanley Cup within two years or I am out of here

it is it is a public and I think that's acceptable but it's a public statement that we have to be good we have to be good we have to be good in this time we have to be good when we get two years from now we just we have to be good and I think that's fine

I'm not saying it's Toronto wherever it is but he will look a lot harder two years from now if in fact things don't go well but don't you think this protects him totally now that he's signed three separate contracts there

and that he's given them all these years and he took less on a two year deal and he's like listen I gave you another chance at 12 and a half now I'm gone this is it's all part of it this protects him from the Tavares your point is but it's all part of it it's like he can't say that he didn't give them every chance now.

There's a, yeah, that's it. If he played out his last year, this year without any commitment, he would have turned himself into a villain. He would have had the potential to for sure. Potential too. Now, not a chance. Not a chance. Even if he walks in two years and I know it's this year plus two years.

but that third year, if they don't win a cup in two years and it doesn't look good, he ain't playing the third year. No. He's moving. He's going to ask for trade. They're going to move him.

So you are on the clock for this year and next year to win a Stanley Cup. Which I think is reasonable to give a team who's been to the cup final two years in a row. And when he walks, no one can look him in the eye and say, you screwed us. Yeah.

Yeah. And like the Islanders did with Tavares. Right. Yeah, I think that's, that's fair i also you know you've been saying during some of our first couple weeks of shows like what is going to change for him what's going to wake up yeah what went what's going to be different yeah today than it was whatever and what i think was different is that we're a couple days from the season starting and he doesn't want to hear it he wants to play hockey he doesn't want every scrum

to be what are you doing could have figured that out earlier in my opinion he could have for sure and i but he didn't have to he didn't i think i think it just should shows that I think it's part of the message that's included to the Edmonton Euler management team and the ownership that I'm not giving you the rest of my career here. It just showed a highlight it. It would have made it more comfortable for them. And I think that is the why he sat for so long. I'm not letting you relax. And certainly this deal should not make Edmonton Euler fans feel any better than

I know it's it's kicking the can down the road it's just kicking it down the road so okay that's fine it's better than him walking after this year to give him two more years but there's still a pretty clear message here that he

me staying here the rest of my career is not a foregone conclusion he also with this he also put an end date on Stan Bowman's tenure right he 100% said here's extra money millions extra 5 million extra that i could be worth that i'm not taking for the next two years more well you have more some people have said i've just got 17 like if he wanted it sure you get 18 yes oh he turned down eight

eight years oh yeah oh yeah no no he turned down the biggest contract in n hl history caprisov oh i'm sure just didn't want it yeah this is it with bowman where he basically said you figure it out with all this extra money and superstars on a discount and if he doesn't if Bowman can't now there are four or five years from now of McDavid and Dry Settle it doesn't work I think people in Edmonton not that they should not that it's right but people in Edenton

be like you gotta go yeah you know you had the the open window there it didn't work so it to me it's just a little bit of pressure on Bowman which is that's sports pressure. A ton of pressure on all of them absolutely all of them and I you know I don't pretend here to know where every draft pick and every asset's gone but you know it's one thing to say

okay mac david gave you all this extra money to go fix it but who is it how much and how many more assets can they give up like they're i don't i don't think they're sitting pretty right now with with an open book now to just go get whoever they want at whatever price that they think that they can pay they have their firsts in 2728 so they have those assets is that they have all their is that enough is that enough who who will be available or all their seconds four thirds like they got they do look good to move which will all be gone and then all of them right next year with everyone that they've got under contract they've still got 22 million in space or something like they've they've got room to add players to get better so this is uh applies the pressure pretty pretty heavily

but it also takes some pressure off. He's going to be there. You get him. So go ahead. Do your thing. There's no reason the oilers shouldn't be very good this year. Yeah.

Well, but there's very good reason why they shouldn't win the Stanley Cup too. What would that be? A goalie? The guy, Connor Ingram. That didn't solve the problem? No.

Well. Yeah. I don't know. He's a talented guy. If he can go to another level, maybe. Is the defense? good enough to win right now.

Well, they just locked up Jake Wallman to seven times seven, $49 million contract, just 16 months after getting traded for with a second for future considerations. Yeah, what was that? Detroit just gave up on him, and now he's $50 million D man, 16 months later. That's crazy. You got a raise? Yeah, he made 3.4 a lot of raise, but Connor didn't get a raise. How about anybody else moving forward here?

Like, who needs a contract? And how do you go in there and say, I want a really, I want a good raise? What's Bill Garen thinking? What's Bill Garen thinking? Yeah, no one big. Eckholm, next year is due. That's about it. Also, Skinner.

Some suggesting that this won't help Jack Eichel and a few other players moving in, and I'm like... It's irrelevant. No, that's not the way it works. If Caprizov signed... Sorry, boys and girls. Caprize off.

Pre-Bes and boy, if he signs for 70 million and then Connor McDavid signs her 12 and a half, it doesn't matter. No contracts matter. Yeah, it's almost like... It's just like... All of those deals.

They do not matter. It just doesn't matter. But I do think if you're one of Connor Eichol, you go, that one's silly high, that one's silly low, 15 somewhere in the middle. You know, you try to make the case that there's an average between them or something. How much more depth does Magiopani give them, Howard gives them, Frederick on the number one line here. Yeah, I like Frederick. As a front line kind of, can he run shotgun all year with this?

Probably not. with this line with well hymen will come back at some point right they'll get him back in the mix and and then that won't have to be the case so i do like freder i don't know i don't know what his ceiling is there i do get the sense that kipper hates this contract no no listen i i just see you seem bothered this is this is this is go big or go home for connor that like i'm giving up two years of my prime earning and he'll make it up who knows what the cap is in two years from now but he could have signed for 18 easy for two years but he didn't and it's because he gets it he gets the system and what he's up against in this system and that's like you want to win or you want to

make money but you can't have both but also you know what I wrote about this just last week that he's prioritizing flexibility and I think superstars are right to do that particularly once they're established Mike McDavid and that he's going to have contracts he's not worried that no team's going to pay them. So what's the point in committing the rest of your career? If you're happy, you stay. If you're not, you go. Whatever.

It's not like getting married. You know, you get the choice to move around after a couple years if you want. You're talking about a divorce? Yeah, those are more challenging than ending a UFA deal. You say, honey, your contracts are. I'm not following your storyline here. I can make a trade. I'm a UFA.

You're thinking about moving. Yeah. My wife and I did a six-year marriage contract. expiring soon no that's not true hi A and V so there's that one we know we didn't even do Jays off the top

by the way it's a hockey show all right the whole station the whole station listen the whole station's been geared around the Toronto Blue Jays

and I saw today like the Leafs lines and I haven't really like to be fair I haven't really watched much preseason hockey I saw the as I've watched two periods maybe I saw the Leafs lines today and it was literally like a cold of splat like wire in my face.

It was like two of the best days I've ever had at the dome. Just unbelievable screaming for four hours, as you can tell. And then I look at the Leafs lines today. I'm like, oh my God, do the Leafs suck? Hopefully they don't suck. These are not bad.

I do think that it's possible that Easton Cowans played his way not into the lineup. What do you think? I don't really. He must have been really pissed to change this up today. After that, showing against Detroit, it was bad.

But, you know, they waved Kamp, who is still not included. I get waving him, but I don't get not using him on the fourth line. So just so people know, Max Domi, Austin Matthews, and Nyes was really the projected line for Wednesday night against the Montreal Canadiens. Now, Max moves off of that line. Macheli moves up and Max goes to the third line. line with Robertson and Dakota Joshua and Nick Waugh goes to the fourth line with Lawrence and yarn crook you know it's it's why not just keep camp in the fourth line and then just keep everything the way it was they must be dying to give them away right now like I feel like

they're talking to teams and saying hey well camp no camp's not going anywhere nobody wants camp right now no no so they'll send them to the marleys before the season starts you think or sit in the press box but probably maybe the Marley's I don't know but that year remaining is very difficult to lose right now it is interesting that Robertson is currently with Joshua and Domi and not Cowan

so like they're like we kind of got a scoring right winger who's not very big. Cowan's had all we heard was Cowan had a really good camp here yeah and what happened in the last three days I just you know maybe another game or two and you go I'm not sure the best

thing for his development is to play 10 minutes a night with Stephen Lawrence and maybe it's better to play 18 minutes a night and run the power play. They did claim two guys off waivers today. Sammy Blay got claimed. And Caden Primo, another goalie. Sammy Blay, if you go back to 2018

among forwards, is 8th and hits per 60. He runs into people who won a Stanley Cup with Craig Barubi. He spent the entire year last year in the American Hockey League. Won a Calder Trophy. Yeah. At age 28. Everything points to this guy can't play. you don't think it's a

I'm just saying like so he had value when he won that cup as you just mentioned everything was the numbers were good big part of the trade for Pavlovu then he goes to New York New York can't get

can't wait to get rid of him they send him back to St. Louis I think so and then he can't stay there and then he spends a year in the minors tell me where what happened between winning a cup and two teams not wanting you

and then you're going to the minors. You know, what's interesting is this has to be what screams that he can still play? I don't know. I wonder if this is, are they disappointed with Pesetta's camp? You know, like, but you just can't keep,

he just gave Pesetta a new contract. You just, you've rid him off already. And well, it's a variable dollars. I wonder, well, I'm just saying if you, so I just told you,

going back to 2018 when Blaze started, he's eighth in the league and hits per 60. posetta's first so they they basically claimed different posetta which doesn't make sense to me so i don't think blay fights so i don't know what it says but i think bruby just loves this kid and he's like i had him in st louis and he does what he's told and he finishes his check and he's big body you know probably look at his fourth line going it's going to be yarn crock robertsin cow and he's going how about the six two two ten guy who runs into people probably that's exactly it there's a a few that were claimed today caden primo as well by the way i love

that player. I love the guy. I would imagine the showcase of James Reimer didn't get it done for the Leafs. They claimed Caden Primo, goaltender. The tweets about seeing Reimer blow a three-gole lead late in the game were pretty funny. Like, I feel bad for Reimer that didn't go great, but you just can't come in and have that performance and have the team go, here's a contract. No. Unfortunately, that's how PTO is.

La Histoire do hockey. Also, Caden Primo, 6'3, 26 years old, great numbers in the minors, has played lots of NHL games, higher upside. Better chance. Better chance. It does kind of, it does lend to the, I guess,

the sense of urgency is the best way I can describe it. Maybe that's too strong of trying to fix. something behind Stolars Yeah No I mean they clearly Are seeking a longer term solution

To Stolair's tandem Stolars is just really Lending to Joseph Wall Not coming back Any time soon I'll give you November 21st Over or under

November 20th I'll go I'll go I don't know I'm No At this point I'm

I'm hoping before Christmas You think Lord Good Lord That's not good I listen It's not me knowing anything This is just speculating Yeah

That the way they're acting The sense The vibe What I'm picking up Is that he's not coming back Anytime soon I mean tree on our show It's just a gut feel on my part

For solutions So they knew something was up Yeah all right well i'm sure our emminton fans are thrilled 15 minutes on mac david and then 15 on leaps what's that's not what's to add on mac david you had the player you still have them that's great you still have them it's the same team he's at the same price just win the Stanley cup this year next year and then he'll sign is at that point what is it max six seven years seven and although is it moved down a year so if he signs with another team it's only six and they could do seven

I think it's all bumped down a year. Anyway. Game time? Yes, we're back, baby. Good luck for me reading this. It's game time. Presented by Bed 365, visit the app, the latest odds,

and see why it's never ordinary. At Bed 365, 119 plus, Ontario only, please play responsibly. Flawless. Love that. Of course. Darts will get you kids, be careful. I had one dart.

A solo dart. One dart. One, a celebratory dart. One. A singular dart. I was a good boy yesterday. I just yelled. I yelled.

It was the loudest building I've ever been in. It was loud. Jumping up and down with random people yelling at the top of my lungs. It was unbelievable. Vladis, Grand Salami, my God. So, yeah, that's a top sports moment I've ever been in a building for. I mean, you were at the first game. Did you go to game two?

I did not. No, okay. Someone was taking creep pictures of you. They tweeted them at me at the first game. Yeah, I got just like random behind Kipper. Where were you sitting? Jay's dugout. No, I mean, above the above.

You were making calls? Above the dog. go you're talking to beat walker okay uh just looking ahead to tomorrow uh jays obviously in the bronx shane beber on the hill for the jays uh carlos rodon somewhat surprisingly for me going for the yanks uh i thought they might go to schlittler but they're going to rodon the jays underdogs plus one 25 in that game i i think tomorrow not to get too into baseball stuff here but tomorrow was more of a must win than we were willing to talk about yeah yeah It just, it gets murk it gets a little murky after that.

Did the seven runs make you a little nervous? Not really. You know, like they weren't. Not to lose the game, but just to have this feeling of just domination in every aspect to. It feels like the game's over. Justin Brule and Tommy Nance aren't going to be pitching in a close game. And those are the two guys that got touched up the worst. Lauer, that one worries you a little bit.

He got touched up a bit. But outside of that, as soon as, as they brought in Varland, he was great. Dominguez was good again. So I'm not too worried, but it would be nice to just win tomorrow because the pitching picture for game four gets a little bit murky, so give me the Toronto Blue Jays tomorrow.

Why not? Why not? I don't know. I mean, I don't know. Trey Gia Savage, that was an all-time showing. Yeah. Kid was unbelievable. And I mean, that's just as good as it gets. What can you do? I mean, that's here's watching the post game and all that.

That was... And then tomorrow night, obviously, the NHL actually starts. Tomorrow, NFL. Triple header. By the way, is Florida got any bodies left or is everyone... Well, they are still a minus 290 favor. Who got suspended? I have no idea.

Did any of them get suspended? Yeah, somebody's getting suspended. Florida. Well, Sabrin should probably set a game or two. He'll get suspended. Yeah, I would hope so. I said this to Sammy before the show. He did what Tampa Bay needed him to do.

I bet they love it. Her Hagee dodged a bullet, I think, too. Oh, he grinned. priest was it going to solve us he'll he's not getting suspended and then it's rangers penguins rangers big phase minus 220 and then it finishes off with kings in colorado minus one 10 on both sides really good games so good games pumped to the opening by the way credit to the nchl i have complained for years about the oh we opened up with the wild in sweden Tuesday at 10 a m god what are you doing give us a good opening day they did we got a good opening day tomorrow when do they go to sweden

Not at all. I don't know. They're doing that this year? I think the league's going. But at least you're not opening the NHL season. But some like, it's Jets Wild from Helsinki. They're listening to our show. Who?

The Lee. Hopefully not today. And commissioner, the commissioner is going to join us over here. So you know he's listening. Anyways, that was game time. Presented by Bet365. Visit the Outplay. And see, it's never ordinary.

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Please play responsibly. Oh, my God. Sammy's going through puberty again. All right. We're going to take a quick break. When we return, the commissioner of the National Hockey League, Gary Bettman will join us. tons more to get into expansion world cup values Connor macdavid on a multi-year deal where do we

begin you'll find out after these words real kipper and born everything you need to know about the blue jays Blair and Barker be sure to subscribe and download the show on Apple Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. Welcome back to the program. Nick Kiprios, Justin Boren, Sammy McKee. A little over 24 hours. National Hockey League starts up. 25, 26 season in a couple of minutes or sooner.

Commissioner Gary Bettman will join us. God, did training camp just fly by? You know, Span. With time with you flies by, so fun. Was that Jay's? Jay's helped? Yeah, that did help us through a little bit. But yeah, I'm ready for the season.

We're just about go time here. And we didn't even discuss yet that Florida, Tampa Bay. Exhibition, Tilt. It's rare to see things spill over from playoffs to exhibition. Is it not? Like, that was clearly teams still had things on their mind here. I think it's, you're right, it is a spillover, But I think it's abundantly clear that Florida just,

I don't want to say bullies their way to a Stanley Cup, but they're like, they're close to it. But I also think Tampa Bay wants back in that picture. Oh, no, 100%. And they're saying, we're not rolling over for you. That's exactly the message over the weekend from Tampa Bay is we plan on fighting fire with fire here. We got a team that can hit back.

Those Florida games are going to be electric this year. But it's great. The whole Atlantic. The rest of the Atlantic Division here. Ottawa, Montreal, going bananas. You got to get your leafies in there, Sammy. Old Posetta is sitting on the bench going, me? Just me?

Are you literally off the year? Good choice. Good choice. Hello. Oh, my God. A couple of pros. No, we do not have an animal trapped in the studio here. That is Sammy McKee.

Can anybody hear me? Well, you know, I think this year, oh, hold on, before I finish that thought, we have an important guest. All right, let's welcome him in. Commissioner of the National Hockey League. Gary Bettman joins us on a short camp. Was that a short camp for you, Commissioner, as well? Did you have to, like, compact a lot of things in a relatively short period of time?

Yeah, but that's not atypical. The summer, like the season, flies by, and we're just happy and anxious to get started. So, you know, the sooner the better. Big news up here in Canada, Commissioner's Connor McDavid signs an extension. No question, he is the face of hockey. and the National Hockey League. So I'm sure that means a lot to everybody, including your office.

I know you don't typically talk about contracts, and that's the business between a player and a management team and an ownership. But, you know, a lot of talk around Conner's extension today is that, you know, the perception around professional sports is the best players get the most amount of money. And we saw that with LeBron for a long time in the NBA. And most recently, O'Tani and Soto and baseball, football, Mahomes.

But Conner's contract seems very underwhelming. And, you know, at the end of the day, is that okay? Is that a... To any person, I would find the amount of money that's being reported that he signed for is far from underwhelming. It's a lot of money. If you're focused on the fact that maybe hockey players, are a little bit different in terms of their commitment to their team and to the game

and that Connor's contract, as reported, seems to reflect a desire to make sure that there's enough talent around him so that they can win. That shows you how special hockey players are, and in particular, this mega superstar, you know, who many say is the best player in the game. I think that's a testament to him, his commitment. to winning and his commitment to Edmonton. And so when you talk about it's good news that he signed, of course it's good news, especially to the fans in Edmonton, but he wasn't going anywhere.

He's going to stay in the NHL no matter what he did. So it tells you that he's really focused on getting the job done in Edmonton and Obama and Oilers fan. I'm thrilled. Gary, thanks so much for joining us. A lot of this money stuff, like for fans and for us, you kind of have to understand it to some degree because it affects why players change teams.

It's just sort of an element of being a fan now that you have to kind of understand. The big numbers I want to get your thoughts on. There was recently a report about franchise valuations. I believe the lowest franchise value by Sportico was $1.3 billion. What are your thoughts when you see what franchise values have done over the past 20 years and where they're at now? Well, I think it's a reflection of the importance as a business and as content.

And as an enterprise that big brings people together, professional sports, particularly for the four majors in North America, has never been stronger. The appetite has never been greater. And as a result, franchises have never been more valuable. I take issue with the Sportico numbers. I think they're low. They don't reflect the couple of transactions that we know are in the pipeline. but, you know, each Forbes will come out with evaluation.

CNBC will come out with evaluation. So in all set and done, what I do like is the trend is good. And over the last three years, I think our franchises have gone up in value by over 100%. And that reflects, I think, well on the game and the strength of our ownership. And as importantly, and maybe most importantly, how great hockey players, NHL players are, and how I believe we have the best fans in all sports. So when you package it all together, it's not totally surprising that our values are increasing.

But they're increasing in all the sports. Again, reflecting the importance of sports in this day and age, particularly the content that sports represents, which is the most valuable content, whether it's linear television or streaming or what have you. There's nothing like live sports. You're watching and listening to the Commissioner of the National. Hockey League, Gary Bettman.

A lot of Pittsburgh Penguin fans watch our show, Gary. So maybe you can shed some light on the Pittsburgh Penguin situation. It was reported that the Fenway Group was just looking for minority ownership and maybe that's changed. That hasn't changed. What can you tell them? I think the situation's fluid and I'm 100% certain that the Fenway Group has anchored down on exactly how they want to move forward,

whether or not they bring in limits, whether or not they sell control or whether or not they do nothing. And so I think things are best in flux. Most importantly, if you're a Penguins fan, I wouldn't worry about the future of the franchise. A, they're not going anywhere. Pittsburgh's a great hockey market and always has been. And B, there'll be strong ownership there, whether it's in the continuing ownership and control by Fenway or whether or not they sell some or all of it to the people that have to go through an approval process and have to have the commitment and resources to make sure this franchise flourishes going forward.

So, Gary, part of the reason these franchise values are relevant, obviously, is if you would like to buy one, they come with a certain cost, right? And I believe there are people who would like to buy them. We have heard reports that potentially Atlanta, Houston, maybe Arizona again, could you update us on the state of the NHL's feelings on expansion? We're not actively pursuing expansion, so you're not going to see any time soon making an announcement saying, okay, if you want an expansion franchise, file your application by X-State. Yes, we're getting interest from a number of places.

Some get more publicity than others, and whether or not it's used in Atlantic, Quebec City, Kansas City, Arizona, and so on. there are more, we're saying, okay, the most important criteria for us if we're going to evaluate an opportunity is ownership, market, arena, and what does it do to make the league stronger? And if you can check those four boxes in a meaningful way, then come talk to us and we'll, if we're satisfied and it makes sense, I'll take it to the executive committee and ultimately to the board, if that's the mandate of the executive committee. But if it happens or when it happens, we'll deal with it at the time. It's not anything that we're pushing at the moment. Doesn't mean it might not happen at some point, but it's not something that we're

actively pursuing. We're more in a responsive mode if somebody gets their act together, starting with those four criteria. No question. This part of it's the timing and the costs, right, Commissioner? And just when we look around what's going on with the economy, and a lot of uncertainties, does that play into anything moving forward with expansion? That's really more up to his potential expansion applicant. I happen to believe that the sports, major league sports at the four major league level,

and our league in particular, particularly with our economic system, makes a lot of sense as an investment. But I'm not pushing that if somebody doesn't think, that there's enough stability moving forward, then they should go invest in something else. But this is consistent with me saying we're not pushing expansion.

I happen to think we're a good investment at any of the levels that are being valued. I'm bullish on our future, and I continue to believe that there's growth that we'll continue to see. And so at the end of the day, if you're thinking about an expansion franchise, you have to make your own decision.

looking at factors, the four factors I laid out, and whether or not you think you can make a sensible business of it in the market that you're choosing. Well, if you expand to enough teams, I'll have to get back in shape. See, you're going to need players, Gary. So we'll put some thought into it. You look like you're in pretty good shape.

Not for that sort of activity. Everything we're talking about is the fact that we're excited to get going tomorrow night. you know there are great storylines again this is part of what makes sports in our league and our team so valuable you know the panthers are seeking a repeat i think which would be the first one in more than four decades uh ovechkins what three goals from 900 you know putting aside him breaking the great one's record thinking about the fact that he continues to play Kane is moving in on Medano in terms of, you know, all-time points from U.S. players. We have outdoor games in Florida, two of them, question our sanity.

We've got the Olympics coming up. It's a centennial season for three of the original six, Chicago, Detroit, and the Rangers. And there's good stuff going on. And if you want to get warmed up for the season, watch face off on Amazon. Yeah, we just had a great promo for Sportsnet, too, there. Faceoff is great, particularly the second episode on Goodrow. I mean, it's sad, it's, it's beautifully done, and it's incredible. So there's a lot to feel good about.

And this translates into the questions you were asking me about expansion, about value. This is all part of what we are. Yeah. Listen, it's all they were talking about, everything is going. going like this and that's a positive because of these stories you're talking about. And one of the things, I don't know if you know this that fans really like is when the guys punch each other

because they're serious about hockey and winning the Stanley Cup. They're competitive. You may have seen some fireworks in preseason this year. Florida, Tampa Bay, Montreal, Ottawa, Atlantic's going to be tight. What are your thoughts in what you're seeing in preseason? My type of hockey commissioner. Two things. Yeah, I'm well aware

of the Florida Tampa game. That's not what we're all about. and I think our fans understand that. What I'm fascinated about is all the commentary about teams that have improved that didn't make the playoffs last season and questioning, well, if they're going to make the playoffs, who's going to drop out? I mean, our competitive balance is extraordinary. The last two months of the regular season, particularly, you know,

for the top eight teams, the bottom half of the top eight teams, is the playoffs on steroids every night. And again, that's a testament to our teams, our competitive balance, and our players. And I'm excited about that. And you know, as hard as it is to get into the playoffs, once you get in, anything can happen. And I don't think there's anything comparable

in playoffs in any sports to our playoffs in general, but particularly our first round. Speaking of great rivalries, like Florida and Tampa now, Commissioner, I was playing in one in the early 90s and early 2000s with Bob Goodnow and you. And Wednesday, we have a celebration of life for Bob. And I just want to know, like, what do you remember about Bob Goodnow or, you know, all these years? This has been a bit of a traumatic time.

Bob passed away, Ken Dryden passed away, Bernie Paran. passed away. You know, this is one of those times of sober reflection when you think about, you know, life and what it all means. Bob, listen, despite the things we each felt we had to do at the time, I always felt we had a very good personal relationship. I admired and respected him. I did view him as a friend.

And I'm not sure, you know, anybody could say anything about. his passion, not just for the game, but obviously for representing the players. And in many ways, he moved where the players were in relation to the game forward. And a couple of things we didn't agree on. And it was unfortunate because I think we collectively, as a league in a sport, lost a little ground. But I think we've made up to it. And ultimately, we were able to reach a landmark agreement, which I think has set the foundation. for everything we've been able to accomplish in the last 20 years. You know, I didn't know he was as ill as he apparently was,

even though they're saying it was sudden, but I think he had had some procedures in the past. And at the end of the day, he's going to be missed by fans, by family, by friends. And, you know, he died way too soon. And that's very sad for everybody. Well said. Yeah, and a lot of what you guys worked on together, as we mentioned. The game is in a good place these days. Strong league and that's wonderful.

Now, to turn the page on that, you know, you wanted to promote all the great things that's happening this season. That's your job as a commissioner. My job is the radio host is to serve our fans who had questions for you today. The number one question that we, that was people wanted to ask you was Canadians being upset about state tax. No, no. Yes, they were. I don't go there. I don't have to, Gary. I have to ask that. Are you nuts? No, no, no. Let's go there. Okay.

The fact is, if you're playing in Canada, you're getting paid in U.S. dollars. Yeah. Okay, and that probably more than makes up for any local taxes. Secondly, it didn't stop Connor McDavid for signing for less money to stay in Edmonton, based on what's been reported. I saw Brad Marchant's comments about it making a difference. At the end of the day, at the end of the day, he didn't sign, re-sign in Florida. because of state taxes.

He would, if he didn't have a great experience, if he didn't really love his teammates, if he didn't think they could win again, if he didn't like the way the club was being run, I don't care what the state taxes are. He would have gone somewhere else. I think in his case, that may have been the icing on the cake,

but that's not why he stayed in Florida. All right. Are Sammy wants to know if you could... And if I see him tomorrow night when I'm there for the banner raising, I will tell him that. Hey, no, Sammy wants you to suspend for talking about state tax.

You know what? They've built something really strong in Florida and in Tampa and some other places. I think it does a disservice to Vittie Viola, the Viola family, Bill Zito, and everything that that organization has done to think that they were this successful because of state taxes. Because nobody's focused on the 20 prior years when the state taxes didn't exist. when the team, if I said they were mediocre, I'd be exaggerated. So at the end of the day, yes, it can be a factor. I suppose if everything else is equal, but everything else is never equal.

Okay, let's move on, momentum off four nations and bidding on host cities. Like how close are we to making a decision on games in Europe? For the World Cup. Yeah, World Cup. We have a process that's ongoing. There's a lot of interest. There's a lot of interest from cities, both in North America and in Europe. There's a lot of interests from people that distribute content, whether it's linear or streaming.

And so once we get everything pieced together, we know where we're going to be. I think we're going to have an amazing event. Four Nations was always intended to be the precursor of what our best on best could be and would be. and I think it sets up the World Cup well. And the reason it works so well is because our players love playing for their countries. I mean, unlike, you know, we were getting compared last February to All-Star Games and other sports. The fact is our players wanted it. They wanted to play in it.

They gave it themselves. It was an authentic event. And that's what made it so great. And I think whether it's the Olympics this season or two years later, the World Cup, this is something that's important to our players. And even though it has some negative aspects on our season, the disruption and what have you, on balance, we concluded it was worth it because it's so important to our players.

Commissioner, a lot of your players, Russians have stated that they want to play in it. Where are we with Russia's participation? You know, the IOC, International Olympic Committee, and the International Ice Hockey Federation have to this point been barring Russia from international competition and that's where we take our cues. You know, listen, there are people

who think we should have banned Russian players from playing at the NHL level for their NHL teams. That's obviously not something we would do. And there are things that go on in the world that are beyond our control and we just have to react to them. I think at some point, you know,

the Russian players are in a moment, important part of our game and at some point, you know, having them back in international competition, but we're not the ones who've been making that call. Like, if I'm clear, Commissioner, the World Cup is an NHL, NHL PA sanctioned. You don't need their, you don't need them. You don't need them to bless it. We respect what the IOC is doing and the double IHF. We live, well, the double IHF doesn't control us.

We live in their world and we're trying to be good. citizens in the international sporting world, and in particular the international hockey world. All right. You got anything else? We got to go. One more. One more.

What was it? Where did I see you on Bloomberg in New York where you stood on a stage and you basically told, you know, a world leader down in south of the border about Canada never going to become a 51st state? Like that was really cool. I wasn't, I didn't say,

exactly like that so get me in trouble with either government what i said is i've spent many many many many days nights weeks in canada uh over the last 32 33 years it's not culturally historically you know it's not a a 51st state it is a distinct country with its own history, its own culture, pride in what Canada is. And, you know, there may be economic reasons that people think that that's a good idea. But in terms of Canada's sovereignty, that's something I know Canadians are proud of. And I don't see them wanting to change that. And it, listen, having spent as much time in Canada as I have, particularly, its role with respect to hockey.

I get it. I understand it. And most importantly, I respect it. Much appreciate you coming on today, Commissioner. All the best to you in your office on a great season. Thank you, guys. Great to be with you. Thanks for all you do to bring our game to our fans.

You're an important touch point. Oh, wow. Appreciate that. Thank you very much. You said that I'm looking over my shoulder. Someone else here? You should always look over. you're showing.

It's great life advice. That's the commissioner of the National Hockey League. He's like an enforcer, eh, when he said that? We're not turning candidate in a 51st state. That was really great. All right. Once again, a reminder, this hour, Real Kipper, brought to you by Bet365. Sammy, how do we do today, buddy?

Better than me. Better than me, boys. Man, low bar. Holy. What do we got on the eve of the National Hig League starting tomorrow? Baseball. Two great baseball games. Phillies, Dodgers, Cubs, Brewers.

All right. Thanks once again to the commissioner of the National High League, Gary Bettman. God, we got a lot in there, didn't we? That was great. That was great. Enjoy your last night off because it gets real busy from here on end. Thanks for joining us, everybody. We're going to be able to be.