Gary Bettman
NHL Commissioner
Born: June 2, 1952
Hometown: Queens, NY
Hometown: Queens, NY
Is the first commissioner in the history of the
National Hockey League. He replaced president John Ziegler. Bettman
began his tenure on Feb. 1, 1993.
The NHL's Board of Governors elected Bettman unanimously
on Dec. 11, 1992. His original mandate from team owners was to grow
the game -- expand into unexploited, lucrative markets in the United
States, improve marketing and secure new TV deals.
Bettman's election to the post was a bit
controversial. Before joining the NHL, he spent 12 years as a senior
executive of the National Basketball Association, and many in traditional
hockey circles were resentful that a lawyer from New York was running
the game. Critics said Bettman wasn't a "hockey guy." They charged
that making money -- not the love of the game -- was motivating Bettman.
Some also said the commissioner was trying to "Americanize" the game
and didn't appreciate the place hockey occupied in Canada's culture.
During Bettman's 10-year tenure the NHL has:
- Grown from 21 to 30 franchises. There are teams in Arizona, Florida, Tennessee and Texas -- areas previously considered non-traditional hockey markets.
- Seen revenues go from $400 million to over $1.6 billion.
- Had its profile across North America dramatically raised. The NHL's licensing and sponsorship income now rivals that of other big professional sports leagues. Ten years ago NHL teams competed in 11 U.S. markets. That number has doubled to 22. Licensing revenues have grown 700% to 1.2 billion.
- Signed TV deals with major American broadcasters ABC and ESPN. The deal brings NHL games to more than 85 million homes in the United States. In 2002, the NHL reached a five-year agreement with CBC and TSN to broadcast games in Canada.
Bettman has made changes to the game itself.
The NHL's divisions were renamed to reflect geography rather than
the league's history. The league adopted a two-referee system;
goal lines, blue lines and defensive-zone circles were moved,
and playoff formats were changed shortly after Bettman took office.
To improve the pace and flow of the game, rules
that crack down on clutch-and-grab and obstruction were toughened.
Olympic-inspired hurry-up line changes were also instituted.
In 1998, Bettman allowed NHLers to participate
in the Olympic Winter Games in Nagano. It marked the first time
the league's players had played in the Games. The NHL suspended
the 2001-02 regular season for 10 days to allow 125 players to
participate in the Salt Lake Olympic Winter Games.
While the last decade may have seen the best of
times for the NHL, Bettman has also presided over the worst of times.
Revenues are up, but so are expenses. According to a recent report
in the Wall Street Journal, more than two-thirds of the NHL's
franchises reported losses in 2002-03.
Bettman's strategy to "grow the game" has also
made it difficult for hockey to survive in Canadian markets. Some
fans in Quebec and Winnipeg still blame Bettman's expansionist
plan for the Jets' move to Phoenix and the Nordiques' move to
Colorado. Annually, the Vancouver Canucks, Edmonton Oilers, Calgary
Flames and Montreal Canadiens must find ways to compete despite
financial constraints. The Ottawa Senators went bankrupt.
There also has been labour strife. The referees
went on strike in 2001 and the owners locked out the players in
1994. The lockout lasted 104 days and cost the league a total of
468 games. The 1994-95 season was 48 games long.
The dispute was settled after some difficult
and mostly acrimonious negotiations between Bettman and NHLPA
head Bob Goodenow. Some observers have suggested the personal
relationship between Bettman and Goodenow is still contentious,
which could affect negotiations on a new Collective Bargaining
Agreement.
"What scares me is that there are so few people
involved in the process. It's Gary Bettman and Bob Goodenow and
they don't appear very cordial in their relationship." -- hockey
agent Ritch Winter in the August 2001 edition of the Report
on Business Magazine.