League talks tough

Bettman used his state of the league address ahead of Game One of the Stanley Cup final between the Vancouver Canucks and Boston Bruins to announce that Shanahan would be taking over the most thankless job in ice hockey.

A tough as nails former player, Shanahan replaces Colin Campbell, who had been in charge of dispensing NHL supplemental discipline for 13 years but had come under increasing criticism for what was viewed as wildly inconsistent punishment.

The league continues to struggle to find a balance between player safety and removing the physical component of the game, which is at the heart of the sport and its appeal.

Concussions and the hits that cause them have become the hot button issue in sport this year, particularly in the NHL, and Campbell's uneven suspensions created the perception the league was unconcerned, sparking an uproar among fans and sponsors.

Bettman said Campbell had approached him and suggested a change.

"Collie and I believe it is time to take a fresh look at the standards that we use and if we are going to move to harsher discipline that change needs to send a clear message and we think it would probably be best to do it on a clean slate," Bettman told reporters.

"I know this was one aspect of Collie's job that he hates, it could be the most thankless and worse job in hockey, particularly after enduring it for more than a decade."

"The tipping point was 13 years of dispensing supplemental discipline, and at some point you deserve to have your sentence commuted," Bettman said

Campbell will remain in the league office but will focus is energies on other projects such as scouting and technology.

Shanahan becomes head of the newly created department for player safety, which will also look into equipment issues and developing rules to protect players.

"It's time to have a fresh look, fresh eyes," said Campbell. "When I took over the job the technology was at a different state than it is now. The most difficult part of supplemental discipline is being consistent."

Bettman, who was in Winnipeg on Tuesday to announce the Atlanta Thrashers relocation to the city again downplayed the chances of any other troubled U.S. franchise relocating Canada.

"There are no shortage of places that continue to express interest in having a team," said Bettman. "My answer is the same. I don't want to raise anybody's expectation.

"We're hoping not to do relocation. You all know that we don't believe in doing that, except as a last resort ... and we're not planning on expanding.

"The interest is flattering but I don't want anyone in any market that doesn't have a team to get their hopes up yet."