With negotiations for a new collective bargaining agreement between the National Hockey League and NHL Players' Association at a standstill, Florida Panthers forward Kris Versteeg joined the Bryan Hayes show on TSN Radio 1050 Toronto to voice his frustration with NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman and deputy commissioner Bill Daly.
"Obviously I'm really frustrated, It's not good," said Versteeg. "You do try to look at the best case scenarios moving forward once the CBA does get done and you gotta look for the cancers and you gotta cut out the cancer.
"I think when you look at Bill Daly and Bettman they've been polluting this game for far too long."
Versteeg went on to say that Daly and Bettman should be replaced once a new CBA is reached for the good of the fans.
"The fans have been left with too many bad tastes in their mouths for too many years and I think when this is all said and done it will be a good time to finally make that happen."
Versteeg is the latest player to voice his displeasure with the way CBA talks have been going. Last week, Detroit Red Wings defenceman Ian White sounded off to the media.
"I personally think he's an idiot," White said Friday after members of the Red Wings finished a workout. "Since he's come in, he's done nothing but damaged the game.
"The moves he's made, teams that are struggling seem to be ones he put in places where there's not viable markets for hockey.
"Three lockouts. I don't know if he's in control of the owners or what he's saying," White continued. "Eight of the owners have to agree to have something passed - you'd think it would be at least 50 per cent. It just doesn't seem like they're running a democratic process, if you will."
On November 10, New Jersey Devils enforcer Krys Barch took to Twitter and let his feelings be known.
"I wonder if the owners of Boston, New York, Washington, etc., etch., have endured any of the injuries that I or any other player in the NHL have endured," Barch wrote on his Twitter account. "Still they probably sit (there) smoking the same brand of cigar, sipping the same cognac and going on vacation to one of five houses they own...while we sit here knowing the want to take 20% of our paychecks. One half to 3/4 of my peers will have to work, for the next 50 years of their lives.
"Congratulations to the lucky select few that I have played with who have made salaries that they can choose to do whatever they want when they are done. But I have played (with most) who do not!"
The NHL lockout has now stretched into a third month and games through December 1 have all been cancelled.
