The future of Gary Bettman
Sportsnet: Elliotte Friedman and Kyle Bukauskas on 32 Thoughts: The Podcast – Category 5 Hockey episode on Gary Bettman’s future and succession plan, kind of, for the next commissioner of the NHL.
** NHLRumors.com transcription
Bukauskas: “So where do you want to start here with the Gary Bettman and the future of the commissioner’s chair?”
Friedman: “Well, I did like the fact that he actually admitted there is one, because I don’t know if he’s ever done that before. And you know, as he said, there’s nothing imminent. And you know, I want to make this very clear, I think the commissioner will be around for a while.
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So, I got a call from one governor. So, Tuesday was the commissioner’s birthday; he’s now 74. I did get a call from one governor who said to me, ‘I’ll bet you he’s visible in one role or another until he’s 80.’ I said, ‘What, six years?’ He goes, ‘Yeah, six years.’ I said, ‘All right.’ I mean, I’m happy to bet anything for a steak dinner. So, we’re there’s a.. we’ll be doing a steak dinner. We just got to figure out the terms.
Now, I will say this. There were some rumors going around that he’d signed an extension. Those were denied to me.
And I’ll tell you something else. I heard rumors that he was going to become chairman of the board of governors, which is now Jeremy Jacobs’ role, and those were denied to me.
Bettman is incredibly loyal to his deputy commissioner, Bill Daly, who’s worked with him for a long time and put out fires for the commissioner for a long time. And I respect loyalty. I don’t think there’s enough of it in the world, and I really do respect it.
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I think one of the things that’s kind of been discussed about all this is, whenever Bettman’s time does come, will Bill Daly be the next commissioner?
And again, the idea of Bettman becoming going right to chairman of the board of governors. I know some other people who asked about that, and they were also told that’s not going to happen. So, whatever the succession plan is, and I think it has been discussed with the executive committee, which is a group of 10 owners. He’s not ready to say what it is yet, and not everybody knows, but there is something.
I just think one of the interesting things here is that there is willingness for Bill Daly to take over as the next commissioner. I just think that there are some owners who would like to have a search. Okay, if we have a search and Daly’s the right guy, he gets the job. And there are other owners who are like, no, I think he deserves the promotion.
So, I think that’s one of the things they are kind of sorting out. That whenever the time comes, will there be a search, or will he just be put into the position? That’s, what I think one of the things that’s kind of being discussed.
But it is interesting, Kyle, because for the first time they really do seem to be putting together a plan.”
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Bukauskas: “Right, and that he’s willing to admit it.”
Friedman: “Yes, he’s willing to admit it.”
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