Gary Bettman

Gary Bettman

Gary Bruce Bettman (born June 2, 1952) is 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.

Under Bettman, the NHL has seen rapid growth of league revenues, from $400 million when he was hired to over $3.0 billion in 2010–11. He also oversaw the expansion of the NHL's footprint across the United States, with six new teams added during his tenure, bringing the NHL to 30.

However, Bettman's tenure in the NHL has been controversial. He has often been criticized for attempting to "Americanize" the game, and expanding the league into non-traditional hockey markets such as the American South at the expense of the more traditional markets in Canada and the Northern United States. Bettman was also 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.