Gary Bettman Informs The NHL Of A Potential Retirement Date
Gary Bettman has been Commissioner of the NHL for over three decades, and now, he's got a retirement date in mind as he reaches his mid-70's.
For quite some time, Gary Bettman has been receiving plenty of backlash for some decisions he's made as NHL Commissioner, and earlier this month, he commented on his future in the role.
That comment signalled that an end was not anywhere in sight for the now 73-year old, but now, a shocking turn of events has been revealed as Bettman has now started informing the league that the end could indeed be near.
According to a report from The Athletic, Bettman has begun informing the NHL executive committee and those in the know that his retirement is coming up in 'a couple of years', and that they should be preparing for life after Bettman.
A couple of years could mean many different things however, as it could mean he's done at the end of the bargaining of the new CBA or that he wants to see out another 3-5 years and add another one or two teams to the league, but for now, discussions have begun about his future.
Since 1993, Bettman's first season in charge of the league, the league has grown from 27 teams to 32, and while viewership and reaching a modern audience remains a problem, it's safe to say that the business of the league is booming under him.
Ultimately, he may not be one of the most adored Commissioner's in the history of North American sports, but Bettman has done plenty of good things for the NHL, and depending on who the league replaces him with (Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly is the current favourite), those fans may be wishing for him back when it's all said and done.
