Boom or bust? We evaluate NHL commissioner Gary Bettman's turbulent first decade at the helm of the league - Chronology - Interview

Hockey Digest, Summer, 2003 by Keith Loria

THE NHL HAS HAD SOME STRONG men serving as league president since the league first formed in 1917. But a decade ago, after John Ziegler had resigned, the NHL owners decided that the man in charge should have a bit more power--in the tradition of the other major sports--and a search was on for the NHL's first commissioner. Turns out, all they had to do was look toward the NBA to find the right man for the job.

In 1992, Gary Bettman was working for the NBA as general counsel and senior vice president, working directly under NBA commissioner David Stern. "It would be accurate to say that David Stern was my mentor in professional sports," Bettman says. "We've had a very close relationship over the years. When I was with the NBA, I probably spent more time with him then any member of my family."

The Board of Governors quickly realized that Bettman--a big hockey enthusiast--was their ideal candidate. And on February 1, 1993, Bettman became the NHL's first--and so far only--commissioner.

Bettman first discovered hockey as a youngster growing up on Long Island where he rooted for the New York Islanders. His interest in the sport intensified during his college years. "Hockey took on a much more significant place in my rooting interest when I went to Cornell," Bettman says. "Cornell was a collegiate hockey powerhouse, and I was a season ticket holder each of my four years there, which necessitated sleeping out a couple of nights just to get tickets."

After graduating, Bettman went on to NYU for law school and then started to carve out a successful career in law. At that time, he had no idea that his law degree would someday help him become the most powerful man in hockey.

After practicing law for three years, Bettman was hired by the NBA in 1991 as assistant general counsel. It was during his time with the NBA that he became well versed with the skills and practices that would help him in his current role. "I really became familiar with each of the various aspects that go with operating a professional sports league while with the NBA: How to interact with teams; how the dynamic works; what the various operations are of a sports league from scheduling to security to operations to licensing to television to public relations. I had the opportunity to see how it all fits and works together."

Taking over as NHL commissioner, Bettman's goals from day one were to make the game as strong as it could be, more fan-friendly, and ultimately more popular. "We had to put together an organization, so initially there were a lot of hourly goals," Bettman says. "When I came here, there was nobody running hockey operations. There was no one in broadcasting, no one in security, no public-relations function in the United States. So what we attempted to do was make sure we had an organization in place that could perform any of the tasks that any of the major professional sports leagues need to perform and be a factor in a very competitive marketplace.

"We needed a new collective bargaining agreement in short order with the officials; we needed one with the players. And we needed to grow the game and get more exposure. We needed more sponsors and we needed more licensees."

It was a tremendous undertaking but one that the owners knew he could handle. In the past decade, Bettman has had a remarkable reign. Under his leadership, the NHL has seen unprecedented growth in areas such as broadcasting, marketing, international play, and expansion.

When Bettman entered the league in 1993, the NHL had just become a 24-team league with the addition of the Tampa Bay Lightning and Ottawa Senators. Thanks in large part to the commissioner's efforts, that number has increased to 30 today with franchises in places never thought feasible.

"We had the opportunity to work with Gary for several years in the NBA. We respected him there for his foresight and abilities to set policies, which advanced the league," says Lightning president Rob Campbell. "A few people at the NBA office deserve enormous credit for moving the league forward in the '80s and early '90s, and Gary was one of them. We came into the NHL partially due to an appreciation for Gary's abilities, and we have not been disappointed. Since we have been in the NHL, Gary has gone the extra mile to aid in the development of our franchise in Tampa and has kept us very optimistic about the long-term viability of the league."

Says Bettman on expansion: "It was important to continually grow the game and have healthy, stable franchises. One of the reasons that expansion in the '90s was so important to us was because we didn't have a truly national footprint. In 1990 we were in 11 U.S. markets, now we have more than 20."

Phoenix Coyotes GM Michael Barnett is one of the executives who has seen the benefits of expansion firsthand. "Since Mr. Bettman's arrival there is one undeniable fact and that is this, clearly there are more youngsters taking up our game at an early age throughout North America, and particularly in the Sun Belt states of the U.S., than ever before. Many follow the NHL closely and are chasing that dream. We have more and better coaches teaching the game across the USA. This can only enhance the talent pool from which we draw at the NHL level. With the likes of Florida, Texas, and California now firmly established as hockey states, the NHL's footprint is truly coast-to-coast. It's a national--not regional--major sports league."