Gary Bettman facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Gary Bettman
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Bettman in November 2016
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| 1st Commissioner of the National Hockey League | |
| Assumed office February 1, 1993 |
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| 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 | |
| Awards | Hockey Hall of Fame (2018) |
Gary Bruce Bettman (born June 2, 1952) is an American sports executive who is the commissioner of the National Hockey League (NHL). He has held this job since February 1, 1993. Before joining the NHL, Bettman was a top executive for the National Basketball Association (NBA).
As commissioner, Bettman has helped the NHL grow across the United States. During his time, eight new teams were added, bringing the league to a total of 32 teams. For his work, he was named "sports executive of the year" in 2014. In 2018, he was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame.
However, Bettman's time as commissioner has also faced criticism. Some fans dislike his efforts to expand the league into southern U.S. cities, which are not traditional hockey areas. He has also been in charge during three labor disputes, called lockouts, where the players and team owners could not agree on terms. One of these lockouts led to the cancellation of the entire 2004–05 season. Because of these issues, he is often unpopular with many hockey fans.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Gary Bettman was born into a Jewish family in Queens, New York. He went to Cornell University and studied industrial and labor relations, graduating in 1974. He then earned a law degree from New York University School of Law in 1977.
Bettman and his wife, Shelli, have three children. His half-brother, Jeffrey Pollack, is also a sports executive.
Career Before the NHL
In 1981, Bettman began working for the National Basketball Association (NBA) in its marketing and legal departments. He became the third-most powerful person in the NBA, serving as its general counsel and senior vice president.
While at the NBA, Bettman helped create the "soft salary cap" in 1983. A salary cap is a rule that limits the amount of money a team can spend on player salaries. This system is still used by the NBA today.
NHL Commissioner
On February 1, 1993, Bettman became the first-ever commissioner of the NHL. The team owners hired him to achieve several goals: make hockey more popular in the U.S., solve problems between players and owners, expand the league, and bring modern ideas to the NHL.
League Expansion and Team Moves
When Bettman started, the NHL had 24 teams. Soon after, the Florida Panthers and Mighty Ducks of Anaheim joined, making it 26. Throughout the 1990s, Bettman led the league's expansion into the southern United States, often called the "Sun Belt."
New teams like the Nashville Predators (1998), Atlanta Thrashers (1999), Minnesota Wild (2000), and Columbus Blue Jackets (2000) brought the league to 30 teams.
During this time, some teams also moved to new cities:
- The Minnesota North Stars moved to Dallas, becoming the Dallas Stars (1993).
- The Quebec Nordiques moved to Denver, becoming the Colorado Avalanche (1995).
- The Winnipeg Jets moved to Phoenix, becoming the Phoenix Coyotes (1996).
- The Hartford Whalers moved to North Carolina, becoming the Carolina Hurricanes (1997).
This focus on southern cities was criticized by fans in Canada and the northern U.S. They felt the league was leaving "traditional hockey markets." Some critics accused Bettman of having an "anti-Canadian" agenda because two Canadian teams, in Quebec City and Winnipeg, were moved.
However, the results of this expansion have been mixed. More children in the southern U.S. are now playing hockey. But some of the southern teams have struggled financially. The Phoenix Coyotes faced money problems for years and eventually moved to Salt Lake City in 2024. The Atlanta Thrashers also struggled and were sold in 2011, moving to Winnipeg to become the new Winnipeg Jets.
More recently, the NHL expanded to 32 teams by adding the Vegas Golden Knights in 2017 and the Seattle Kraken in 2021.
Labor Disputes and Lockouts
A lockout is a work stoppage where the team owners close down the league because they cannot agree on a contract with the players. The NHL has had three lockouts under Bettman.
1994–95 Lockout
This lockout lasted 104 days. The season was shortened from 84 to 48 games. The owners, led by Bettman, wanted a salary cap to control rising player salaries. The players' union wanted a "luxury tax" system instead. They eventually reached a deal that included a salary cap for rookie players.
2004–05 Lockout
By 2004, owners said that player salaries were growing much faster than league revenues. On September 15, 2004, Bettman announced another lockout. This time, the two sides could not reach an agreement, and the entire season was canceled. It was the first time a major North American sports league had canceled a full season due to a labor dispute.
Eventually, the players and owners agreed on a new contract. This deal included a "hard salary cap," which tied player salaries directly to the league's income.
2012–13 Lockout
This lockout lasted from September 2012 to January 2013. Again, the main issue was how to split hockey-related revenues between players and owners. After months of failed talks, a new deal was reached. The season was shortened to 48 games.
Television Deals
One of Bettman's first goals was to get the NHL on major American TV networks. He signed a five-year deal with Fox that began in the 1994–95 season. This deal was famous for introducing the "FoxTrax" puck, a glowing puck on TV that helped some viewers follow the action.
In 1998, the NHL signed a larger, five-year, $600 million deal with ABC and ESPN. After the 2004-05 lockout, the league's TV deals changed. The NHL moved to networks like NBC and Versus (which later became the NBC Sports Network).
In 2011, Bettman negotiated a 10-year, $2 billion deal with Comcast/NBC. In 2013, he announced a huge 12-year, $5.2 billion deal with Rogers Media for the rights to broadcast games in Canada.
Public Image
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Bettman is often an unpopular figure among NHL fans. Many fans boo him when he appears in public, especially during the NHL Entry Draft and when he presents the Stanley Cup to the winning team. The booing is often a reaction to the lockouts and the relocation of teams from traditional hockey cities.
When asked about the booing, Bettman has said that it doesn't bother him. He believes it shows that the fans care deeply about the sport. Still, some people think someone else should present the Stanley Cup to avoid the awkward ceremony.
Honors and Awards
Despite the criticism, Bettman has received many honors for his work.
- In 2014, he was named "Sports Executive of the Year" by the SportsBusiness Journal.
- In 2016, he was inducted into the International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame.
- In 2018, he was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame.
- In 2023, he received a Lifetime Achievement award from the SportsBusiness Journal.
As of 2015, Bettman became the longest-serving commissioner currently active in major professional sports.
Images for kids
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Bettman (second from left) at a news conference for NBC Sports.
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