NEW YORK - NHL commissioner Gary Bettman disagrees with Bruce Boudreau's mom: He doesn't mind the Washington Capitals coach's cursing.
Boudreau's expletive-filled rant at his struggling team during the first episode of HBO's "24/7" series about Washington and the Pittsburgh Penguins has drawn plenty of buzz -- and admonishment from his mother.
But Bettman called it a natural part of "the ultimate reality show."
"You're watching a team and in particular a coach going through a very difficult time," Bettman said at a media breakfast Tuesday to promote the Winter Classic between the two teams. "No one in this room is prudish enough to think that locker room language isn't coarse."
The commissioner added, "Both teams have handled themselves beautifully."
