Despite the hardships, the rigid primogeniture back home ensured a constant supply of Basque labour looking to emigrate, and sheep herding was an attractive trade for those who did not speak English.
It is also an answer to decades of criticism by Western management experts who breathlessly argued that the country's business culture, from a rigid labour market to weak shareholder rights, was holding companies back.
Bettman insists that the league needs to run under a more rigid salary cap, and make sure there are no signing bonuses or back-loaded contracts to player salaries.