NHL Braces for the Bettman Afterlife

The league has spent decades under Gary Bettman’s steady, polarizing rule, so even the idea of life after him sends the rumor mill into overdrive. Any commissioner change would not just be a personnel move - it would invite a larger fight over power, priorities, and how the NHL wants to present itself. That is why these conversations always sound bigger than a standard front-office whisper. The people around the league know this is about the future of the sport, not just one man’s office chair.