- Kevin Paul Dupont of the Boston Globe: Bruins owner said didn’t want a lockout, but thought it was necessary to get the game on strong fiscal ground.
“I am coming off winning a Stanley Cup . I’ve got a sold-out building. I have a financially sound business — no debt. I’ve owned for 37 years. I’m the last guy that wants to shut this down. I don’t want this to shut down.
“Unfortunately, I play in a league with 30 teams and when I step back and look what’s going on with the broadest sense of the league, I’ve got to play a role that is constructive. My selfish interest was definitely to keep this going within the parameters of the deal that was out there. But it make sense for the league, long-term.
“We have a lot of people that were tired of this. A lot of people were promised that we would try to right-size this. And I had to play a role in it.
“To be vilified, I don’t think is right, but . . . what’s my opinion on something like that?’’
Jacobs thinks the lockout blame should fall on the players.
“They had no expression or desire to make a deal,’’ he said, later adding, “if someone doesn’t engage, you don’t offer.’’
“Nobody won,’’ said Jacobs. “But more importantly, no one lost.’’
- John Shannon via twitter: Shannon confirms that Gary Bettman was in Edmonton on Friday. He had meetings with the Katz Group and the City about the new arena. There will be a council briefing on Wednesday.