from Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun,

Ray isn't blaming the owners or the players. He believes both sides have to share responsibility for not being able to get a deal in place to avoid this mess, but he did note that commissioner Gary Bettman has a track record.

"I could sit and say Bettman is a jerk but he's done a decent job growing the game and with TV packages," said Ray, a colour analyst on Sabres' broadcasts on MSG. "You have to give him credit for that. But, when it comes to this stuff, it becomes all about him. In that way, he is making a bit of a fool of himself.

"He could be the hero with the game growing, the revenues the way they are and people in the buildings. I think he's a bit of gambler thinking that everybody is going to come back. I just think he's risking too much."

When -- and if -- the NHL does return this season, the fans will likely return in all seven Canadian cities, plus hockey markets in the United States like Buffalo, Boston, Minnesota and Chicago. It won't be the case everywhere.

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