Bettman supports Hurricanes' postgame celebrations

Unlike Don Cherry and Brian Burke, Gary Bettman doesn't have a problem with the Carolina Hurricanes' post-win "storm surge" performances.

"I happened to talk to some of the players this morning about it, and we had a fun conversation," the NHL commissioner said Tuesday prior to the Hurricanes' win over the Los Angeles Kings, according to the club's senior web producer, Michael Smith.

"The players enjoy doing it," Bettman continued. "That's important. The fans enjoy seeing it. To me, that's the most important element as to what goes on after a game when there's a win."

The commissioner then specifically mentioned Cherry, the "Hockey Night in Canada" pundit who called the players "a bunch of jerks" earlier this month.

"I consider Don Cherry a friend, and I respect him, but we can agree to disagree on certain things," Bettman said. "The fact is, how fanbases connect with our game evolves over time. What might work in an Original Six city might not work in a city or market that's newer to the game.

"Think back to the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim on opening night and (mascot) Wild Wing propelling from the rafters. People said, 'Oh, my. How could you do that?' Think about Nashville with the chants and rituals they have and involving country music. That's different. Think about what goes on now in Las Vegas. What each team does to connect with its fans is going to be tailored for their fans and their market. As long as the people involved are feeling good about (it), then who's to complain?"

The Hurricanes have performed many unique victory celebrations this season, including a mimed walk-off home run, a limbo contest, bowling, and a game of duck, duck, goose. They projected "bunch of jerks" onto the ice following Tuesday night's win over the Kings.

Copyright (C) 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.