Sunday, May 7
5:00 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.
128th Annual Meeting Opening Ceremonies and Keynote Address

Gary B. Bettman Biography

Gary B. Bettman, the first commissioner in National Hockey League history, has directed the League to a series of major advancements since his tenure began on February 1, 1993.

In 2005, Commissioner Bettman and the League’s Board of Governors modernized and revolutionized the economic system under which the League operates, creating a partnership with the players through a revolutionary Collective Bargaining Agreement that makes a shared objective of increasing hockey-related revenue.

Commissioner Bettman also negotiated a cutting-edge cable broadcast agreement with Comcast/OLN that provided rights fees in excess of $200 million over the first three seasons and which also created a variety of promotional and new media opportunities while establishing "most-favored nation" status for the NHL on OLN.

In concert with the Hockey Operations department and the Competition Committee, Commissioner Bettman also was a driving force in the implementation, for the 2005-06 season, of several rules changes and fan-friendly game elements – including "the shootout," which guarantees a winner in every regular-season game.

Mr. Bettman was elected unanimously by the Board of Governors on December 11, 1992. When he assumed office, NHL teams competed in 11 U.S. markets. In the years since, that number has more than doubled; League membership has increased to 30 teams and its North American “footprint” includes franchises in locales previously considered non-traditional hockey markets such as Texas (Dallas Stars), Arizona (Phoenix Coyotes) and Tennessee (Nashville Predators). Regular-season attendance, which was just over 14 million in 1993, exceeded 20 million in each of the four consecutive campaigns through 2003-04. 

During Mr. Bettman’s tenure, broadcasts of NHL games returned to national over-the-air network television in the United States for the first time in 20 years. In 1998, the League signed a multi-tiered, multi-year broadcast partnership with ABC and ESPN/ESPN2, which brought NHL games to more than 100 million homes nationwide. In 2002, the NHL agreed to terms on a five-year agreement with CBC and TSN for national English-language telecast rights of games in Canada. In 2004, the NHL reached agreement on a multi-year contract that made NBC the League’s U.S. broadcast partner. 

Mr. Bettman has influenced the on-ice product, as well. He modernized the way regular-season overtime was contested by implementing a format under which each Club used four skaters per side at full strength instead of the customary five-on-five – creating more open ice and significantly increasing the number of games that resulted in an overtime winner.

From a Hockey Operations standpoint, Mr. Bettman’s tenure has seen a shift to all games being officiated by two referees and two linesmen; the prior standard having been one referee and two linesmen. As well, the installation of a “Hurry-Up” line change format for the 2002-03 season shaved several minutes off the average time of a regulation game.

Another innovation, the Heritage Classic (November 22, 2003), presented the first regular-season outdoor game in NHL history to more than 55,000 fans at Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton and a national TV audience. 

Commissioner Bettman also restructured the NHL’s marketing and licensing arm, NHL Enterprises, resulting in increased revenue through sponsorships, merchandise sales and other business ventures.

Total League revenue grew from $732 million when Mr. Bettman assumed office to $2.1 billion (U.S.), an increase of 187%. League Merchandise Sales grew from $275 million in retail dollars to $1.3 billion, an increase of 373%. Corporate Partner Spending increased from $25 million to $375 million. Reebok International joined the NHL as a long-term corporate partner in 2004. 

Commissioner Bettman has led the NHL to the forefront of the sports world on the Internet. The NHL’s fan base is young, affluent, computer-literate and international; rather than license control of the League’s website, NHL.com, the League has retained control, provided the content and created a global hockey portal that most efficiently serves the League, the Clubs and the fans.

The Commissioner also prioritized building the sport’s fan base through grass-roots initiatives that bring hockey to youngsters. These programs include NHL Street and the NHL Diversity Programs. The NHL Street hockey program brings the game to schools and community centers. The Diversity Program introduces the game to children of diverse ethnic backgrounds.

Charitable undertakings also have been at the forefront during Commissioner Bettman’s tenure. Since its inception in December, 1998, NHL support of Hockey Fights Cancer has helped to raise more than $6.8 million in support of cancer research.

Mr. Bettman also has focused attention on the League’s international makeup and appeal. In 1998, Mr. Bettman led the NHL to its first Olympic Winter Games, with NHL players stocking the rosters of six world-class teams. During the 2001-02 season, the NHL once again suspended its regular season and sent more than 125 players to the Olympic Winter Games. It was estimated that more than 38 million people in the United States watched the Olympic Gold Medal Game, in which Team U.S.A. played Team Canada, with every member of each team coming from an NHL roster. In Canada, the match was the most-watched television program in history, drawing an 80 share.

As a further testament to the League’s international appeal, NHL games are televised in more than 160 countries worldwide. Further, the World Cup of Hockey, which features the top NHL players representing their homelands in an international tournament under NHL rules on NHL-sized ice surfaces, was played for the first time in 1996 and returned in September, 2004. 

Before being named NHL commissioner, Mr. Bettman served 12 years with the National Basketball Association, attaining the position of Senior Vice President and General Counsel. Prior to that, Mr. Bettman was associated with the New York law firm of Proskauer Rose Goetz & Mendelsohn.

A native of Queens, NY, Mr. Bettman graduated from Cornell University and the New York University School of Law. He lives in New Jersey with his wife, Shelli. Their children’s names are Lauren, Jordan and Brittany.