Gary Bettman continues to prove he'll bend the rules for expansion teams, but refuses to help others

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Sam Hutch
October 7, 2023 (9:03)

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The Canadian Hockey League and the National Hockey League currently have a long standing agreement in place where players that are still eligible for junior go back if they don't make their NHL rosters out of training camps, but Gary Bettman has shown that he's able to make exceptions to that agreement should a player be too good for the CHL, allowing them to play in the American Hockey League.

Now, with the exceptions Bettman has granted this has proved that he favours the expansion teams over others, take a look:

According to Aaron Portzline, it's been made clear to the Blue Jackets that neither Jordan Dumais nor Denton Mateychuk will receive an exemption from the NHL/CHL agreement.

If they don't make the #CBJ roster, they cannot play in the AHL (will be sent back to juniors)

Jordan Dumais and Denton Mateychuk have had exceptional camps for the Columbus Blue Jackets proving that they're too good for the CHL, but when the Blue Jackets applied for an exemption so that they could play in the AHL this season, they were denied.

This is the latest in a string of denied exemptions that also includes Matt Savoie after the Seattle Kraken were granted an exemption for 2022 4th overall pick Shane Wright.

Bettman has always given special treatment to certain NHL teams, but at this point he's not even trying to hide it.