Theo Fleury Defends Bettman, Fighting

Let me tell you a story that not many people know. When I was going through all those problems in New York, he called me into his office one day. And he basically said, ‘Are you OK? Are you OK?’ He basically said, I don’t really care about you as a hockey player, but I really am asking you, ‘Do you need help or is there anything we can do to help?’ I wasn’t at a point in my life where I could even accept any help at all. I was just flat-out surviving, day-to-day surviving. I’ll never forget that as long as I live. When people talk badly about him, I always go back to that time. Then when I made my comeback [in 2009], I had to go see him to get reinstated. It was so great to see him. He was happy and excited for me. I thought it was pretty cool. Nobody gets to see that side of Gary Bettman.