Vancouver Olympics hockey final is good news for Gary Bettman

The puck has been dropped in the Canada-U.S. Olympic men's hockey final.

And I'm left with one thought: National Hockey League commissioner Gary Bettman must be very happy about the way this tournament has played out.

The game will attract a large U.S. television audience, helping  the NHL in its weaker markets south of the border.

And if the Americans win, he will take some measure of satisfaction with his strategy to expand the game into areas of the United States where sports fans never had much of an affinity for hockey.

Many Canadians can't stand Bettman for his efforts at keeping a team out of Hamilton.

I don't expect that to change, regardless of who wins today.

Follow Charlie Smith on Twitter at twitter.com/csmithstraight.