Honestly, you're not a conspiracy theorist, but you think the economy dictates how things work on the ice? Why wouldn't last years final go 7 with Pitt winning?
If the league got what they wanted, we'd see Kings/Ranger cup finals simply for the monster local TV ratings that would bend the national numbers up in a big way.
"It has been said". Yeah, by clowns like Ivan and those who happened to have money on the other teams.
If you're far from a conspiracy theorist, I'd hate to see what you consider a real conspiracy nut.