Gary Bettman talks All-Star game, OT, 'tanking'

NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman was in Nashville on Friday to attend Game 2 of the Predators' first-round playoff series against the Chicago Blackhawks. Before the game, he discussed Nashville's impact on the NHL and league-wide topics.

On what appealed to the NHL in choosing Nashville as the host for the 2016 All-Star game:

"Well, besides the persistence of the organization and the city and Bridgestone, the fact is we had a great draft here (in 2003). This is a city that's got great fans and is known for hospitality. It's a fun place to come; the music industry has created an atmosphere of entertainment and excitement; and with the new convention center, all the pieces were in place that we can throw a weekend of celebration for our sport."

On what to expect that weekend, scheduled for Jan. 30-31:

"If you look at what we did in Columbus (at this season's All-Star festivities), you understand that there are lots of events that take place, lots of ways for people who live in the community and are visitors coming in to connect with the game, whether or not you actually go to the All-Star game. It'll be a fun weekend of events and celebration and parties."

On whether it was good for the league to have a nontraditional market like Nashville have significant on-ice success:

"I'm not sure I'm comfortable any longer with the term 'nontraditional.' Fact is there are some cities that have franchises longer, but Nashville has built its own tradition, its own history. This team is very well-owned by Tom Cigarran and his partners. The team on the ice has been built the right way by David Poile, who's one of the preeminent general managers. And we're in a place as a league where we have incredible competitive balance, best in our history, probably the best in all of sports. We've got 20 teams that could have won the Stanley Cup, in all probability, and four of them didn't even make the playoffs.

"And as we sit here at the very beginnings of the first round, the Stanley Cup is up for grabs and that's great news for fans. It's great news for fans in Nashville as there are high expectations and a team that performed extraordinarily well in the regular season."

On Las Vegas' pursuit of an NHL franchise:

"Mr. (Bill) Foley, who's the person interested in having an NHL franchise in Las Vegas, wanted to assess the strength of the fan base, potential fan base in Las Vegas. Las Vegas in that regard is at least perceived to be an unusual market. He began his ticket drive, and while I'm not prepared to announce the results, because it's actually still ongoing, it has been very successful to date."

On whether there is an extra sense of excitement surrounding this year's draft lottery, which takes place Saturday, considering the available talent:

"There was excitement when (Penguins center) Sidney Crosby was involved. There have been other players, whether or not it was (Oilers forward) Taylor Hall or (Stars forward) Tyler Seguin. I think there's excitement every year for those teams that aren't in the playoffs."

On the concept of teams "tanking" to ensure a better draft position:

"Our teams don't tank. Our players play to win. Teams go through rebuilding. I think it's something that gets talked about and debated, but it's not realistic."

On potential changes to the overtime format, pending possible league approval:

"I think the sense that came out of the general managers' meeting is while the shootout isn't going anywhere — the fans love it, you see everybody on their feet — if we could decide a few more of the games in sudden death and still retain the shootout, that would be even more fun and make the shootout even more special.

"Whether or not it's four-on-four to three-on-three or just three-on-three, I think the fans will be in for a treat. ... I think the focus is we'll get some more games settled in overtime, in sudden death and then have the shootout."

On whether a successful All-Star weekend in Nashville could mean more local league events in the future:

"There's no shortage of demand for league events, and we try and move them around. Do I believe that a city that can host a draft and an All-Star game might be able to host an outdoor game? Perhaps, but that depends as much on weather and on facilities."

Reach Adam Vingan at 615-259-8023 and on Twitter @AdamVingan.