Bettman here to stay

As reported last week by ESPN.com's Terry Blount, "people involved with the NHL" approached Texas Motor Speedway president Eddie Gossage "about joining the league and eventually replacing commissioner Gary Bettman . . . Bettman's contract expires after the 2007-08 season."

Canadian Press files an article today clearing up some misconceptions about Gary Bettman and his contract status.

"I've watched with fascination some of the newspaper reports having me going on sabbatical shortly," Bettman said prior to the Vancouver Canucks playing the Chicago Blackhawks. "That isn't the case, wasn't the case.

"I think people were somehow under the impression my contract had a year to run and got fixated on that. Those stories were, to say the least, inaccurate."

TSN's Bob McKenzie also checks in on the scrum and sets the facts straight on Bettman's contract status.

Bettman's contract does not expire at the end of next season. Or the one after that.

In fact, an NHL owner tells TSN that Bettman has another five full years left on his deal after this season.

The owners are apparently happy enough with his work that last fall they extended his deal to one year beyond the expiry of the current cba. that will take him through to the summer of 2012.

So it doesn't look as though Bettman will be leaving office any time soon.

This is essentially the same thing I said last week. Off Wing, meanwhile, posts about something buried deeper in the CP article -- a possible change in the points system for next season.