NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman hands 2014 Stanley Cup to L.A. Kings

By John Rolfe You know things are going pretty well for the NHL when what is usually a big case of boos -- the commish handing over the league's hallowed

By John Rolfe

You know things are going pretty well for the NHL when what is usually a big case of boos -- the commish handing over the league's hallowed silverware at the end of the Stanley Cup Final -- turns out to be a relatively well-received moment for Mr. Gary Bettman. As SI's Jack Dickey notes, the league is doing well after its rancorous 2012-13 lockout and even if it hasn't attained NBA-sized popularity, it occupies a solid and profitable niche in the pantheon on major North American sports. This thrilling and hard-fought postseason certainly didn't hurt, with 14 of the 15 series featuring at least one overtime game and seven going the maximum seven matches. Even what appears to be a lopsided five-game Cup win by the Kings was hard-fought and had many memorable moments.

Recaps: Game 1 | Game 2 | Game 3 | Game 4 | Game 5