Gary Bettman, the commissioner of the NHL, says he believes Ron MacLean "spoke from the heart" while discussing the death of Coach's Corner over the weekend on Hockey Night in Canada. However, appearing at PrimeTime sports management conference in downtown Toronto Monday, Bettman declined to weigh on on Don Cherry's comments that got him fired from the segment he'd been hosting for 37 years. Bettman stated the last thing he wanted to do was get the issue in the news again.
"I believe the CBC has had a number of statements, we've had a number of statements, Don has spoken and I'm not going to start another news cycle,” he said.
Bettman said MacLean “obviously made his feelings clear" when he appeared before the camera alone for five minutes Saturday night. MacLean stated in the end he felt he had to choose principle over friendship, and that was why he apologized on Hometown Hockey the following night. Cherry claimed the apology buried him and that he was very disappointed in his longtime friend.
Anyone who has even a small interest by now knows what Cherry said that caused such an uproar. Besides MacLean, Sportsnet issued an apology, as did the NHL itself, with both calling his remarks offensive.
Saturday night, MacLean made it clear that Coach's Corner was no more. Sportsnet has stated it is looking at a number of options to fill the time once taken up by "Ron and Don" but hasn't made anything official yet.
Source: The Globe and Mail
