Gary Bettman
Gary Bruce Bettman (born June 2, 1952) is an American sports executive who serves as the commissioner of the National Hockey League (NHL), a post he has held since February 1, 1993. Previously, Bettman was a senior vice president and general counsel to the National Basketball Association (NBA). Bettman is a graduate of Cornell University and New York University School of Law. Bettman was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2018.
Gary Bettman | |
|---|---|
Bettman in November 2016 | |
| 1st Commissioner of the National Hockey League | |
| Assumed office February 1, 1993 | |
| Preceded by | Gil Stein (as President) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Gary Bruce Bettman June 2, 1952 Queens, New York, U.S. |
| Spouse |
Shelli Bettman (m. 1976) |
| Children | 3 |
| Relatives | Jeffrey Pollack (half-brother) |
| Alma mater |
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| Awards | Hockey Hall of Fame (2018) |
He oversaw the expansion of the NHL's footprint across the United States, with eight new teams added during his tenure, bringing the NHL to 32 teams as of the start of the 2021–22 season. In May 2014, Bettman was named "sports executive of the year" by the SportsBusiness Journal and SportsBusiness Daily. In 2016, Bettman was inducted as a member of the International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame.
Bettman's tenure in the NHL has been controversial. He has often been criticized for attempting to give the game a mass appeal, and for expanding the league into non-traditional hockey markets such as the Sun Belt at the expense of the more traditional markets in Canada and the Northern United States. Bettman has also been a central figure of three labor stoppages, including the 2004–05 NHL lockout that saw the entire season canceled. These controversies have made him unpopular with many fans around the league.