NHL News and Rumors 2016: Commissioner Gary Bettman Signs Six-Year Extension
Gary Bettman is one of the longest-reigning commissioners in professional sports, and while he's always had that share of critics, it certainly looks like he'll beat them once again after the news that he signed a six-year contract extension to become the NHL commissioner up to 2022. The said deal was reportedly signed last September but was only officially confirmed on Sunday.
The 63-year-old does not often reveal himself in the spotlight and his previous contract extensions weren't even known to the fans of the NHL. The first time he took the role was in February 1993, presiding over large revenue growth and ongoing expansion. He was the man who faced the league's most controversial and troublesome labor battles, specifically three of them in 1994-95, 2004-05, and the most recent one back in 2012-13.
When he assumed office in 1993, the NHL only had 24 teams, and now it has 30, and there is no sign that he's backing and slowing down in terms of expansion. It is projected that there will be more teams in maybe two or three years from now.
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Although the league did not really have major conflicts and issues in his tenure, it wasn't always that great every single time. The most controversial issues were the labor-related work stoppages, but other than those three, one can say that it has been smooth sailing for him the rest of the way.
Good thing for Bettman is that his relationship with the NHLPA has been great, too, which probably is the reason why he's still around making decisions for the league. The existing collective bargaining agreement with the NHL Players Association will be expiring by 2022, which coincidentally is the same year Bettman's newly signed extension ends. So there's really no telling what happens to the league after 2022, when negotiations for the new collective bargaining agreement become an agendum once again.
