Parise, Briere call out Gary Bettman

The negotiation process between the NHL and the NHLPA had been fairly calm over the past several weeks. The two sides remained divided on revenue sharing but the conversation always seemed to be mostly respectful. That all changed this week when Zach Parise and Danny Briere opened up about their opinions on the negotiation process, specifically calling out commissioner Gary Bettman.

Zach Parise was the first to voice his opinion, stating that he believed Gary Bettman is "pretty adamant about his third lockout of his tenure" (TwinCities.com). Parise also added that he and his fellow players all want to play and that yet another lockout wouldn't be good for the game. It's safe to say that Bettman isn't actually adamant about having another lockout but Parise's other comments about a lockout not being good for anyone are right on the money. 

Danny Briere decided to add his own opinion, calling out the commissioner for his comments about fans returning after a lockout (CSN Philly). Briere boldly stated that the players have all heard about how Bettman doesn't think the fans matter and that they'd return instantly whenever needed. 

David Perron also briefly chimed in, Tweeting the message you see below showing his support for the players' representative Donald Fehr. 

These are just a few of the most prominent examples that we have seen of players speaking out during the negotiating process. Parise's and Briere's comments are more notable as they appear to call out Bettman directly. It's clear that players are beyond fed up with how the NHL has run its business since the 2004-05 lockout. Honestly, can you blame them? 

About David Rogers

Editor for The Comeback and Contributing Editor for Awful Announcing. Lover of hockey, soccer and all things pop culture.

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