Gary Bettman thought that the NHL needed to flourish in the southern states and non-traditional hockey markets to become a player in the big leagues. He added expansion teams to these markets and moved existing teams there as well.
In order for them to be more marketable right away, it would be better for them to be more competitive and not get blown out on most nights. If only there was a way to restrict talent and manufacture less scoring, the games would be more competitive, closer in scoring, and more exciting to watch, especially for fans in the new markets.
Bettman battled the fans and media for almost his entire tenure, about obstruction, lack of scoring, and rules always insisting that there is nothing wrong and that the state of the game has never been better.
While the fans were complaining about lack of scoring and officiating, goalie equipment gradually and surreptitiously got bigger and bigger.
Players, coaches, and fans didn't know which penalties would be called from game to game or period to period. It would have made more sense if they specified when a penalty would be called—for example, hooking is only to be called for the first 10 minutes of the first two periods—instead of arbitrarily, or worse yet, because the other team had the last penalty.
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