The art of the tank is a masterful thing in the NHL. As a mostly unspoken, but definitely real, phenomenon, tanking is a tried and true method for teams who are down on their luck looking to change their fortunes by getting lucky in the draft lottery.
And yet, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman — who has held his post since 1993 — doesn’t believe tanking exists in the NHL. Bettman met with media on Tuesday in Montreal to answer some questions as part of a press tour when the subject of tanking was brought up. With generational talent Connor Bedard the consensus No. 1 draft pick come summertime, it’s no wonder we’re seeing some truly poor efforts from teams this year.
