Since 1993, Gary Bettman has been the commissioner of the National Hockey League and he has taken the game to new and incredible heights. But despite his many positive accomplishments for the game, when he makes a public appearance, he is mercilessly booed.

Heckling and booing this man has almost become a part of the hockey culture. And there's no love lost on the players' side either. After three lockouts in his 20 years behind the desk, he has given them a good reason to despise him and what he represents.

This book sets out to discover why Gary Bettman has become the most hated man in hockey. Is that hate justified? Or is he just a scapegoat for fan frustration and player dissatisfaction?

Arpon Basu had said since the age of eight that he would one day make the National Hockey League. Any chance of that happening, came to a crashing halt when, at 15 when he realized he was completely devoid of any talent. He earned a graduate journalism degree from Concordia University and went straight to a sports-writing job with the Canadian Press. The first time he walked into the Montréal Canadiens dressing room as a giddy cub reporter, Basu nearly fell over as it dawned on him that, despite his ineptitude on the ice, he had in fact been telling the truth as a dreamy-eyed eight-year-old.Basu covers sports for the Canadian Press in Montréal and writes a weekly sports column for the Montréal Gazette. He is also editor of Montréal’s South Shore, The St-Lambert Journal.

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