“Let’s go!” the NHL Commissioner said.
With that, the group of NHL owners and executives promptly quieted down and sat for the Board of Governors meeting in the Ponce de Leon Ballroom at The Breakers a little after 2 pm ET on Monday.
Bettman presided at the head of a large rectangle, with deputy commissioner Bill Daly to his right and representatives from each NHL team wrapping around from A to W — Anaheim Ducks to Winnipeg Jets.
Daly said Jeremy Jacobs, the owner of the Boston Bruins and the chairman of the Board of Governors, had asked “to commemorate a very special anniversary.”
The moment provided a peek into the respect Bettman carries among the Board of Governors, the formality of these meetings and the lighthearted banter among longtime colleagues.
It was at The Breakers almost exactly 30 years ago, on Dec. 11, 1992, when the Board elected Bettman as the NHL’s first commissioner, a position with greater powers than those held by the five presidents who had led the League since its founding Nov. 26, 1917.
Only a few people in the room Monday were at the Board of Governors meeting three decades ago: Bettman, Jacobs, Detroit Red Wings senior vice president Jimmy Devellano, New York Islanders general manager Lou Lamoriello, Dallas Stars president Jim Lites, Washington Capitals chairman Dick Patrick, Nashville Predators GM David Poile and NHL chief legal officer David Zimmerman.
Lites remembered looking at the resumes of the candidates for commissioner. At the time, he was the chief operating officer of the Red Wings, whose owner, Mike Ilitch, was on the search committee. Bettman came from the NBA, where he was the senior vice president and general counsel, experienced in everything from the salary cap to labor negotiations to TV contracts to licensing to marketing.
“Gary’s resume stood out,” Lites said.
The NHL was at a key point. The day before Bettman was hired, the NHL awarded expansion franchises to Anaheim and South Florida, bringing it to 26 teams. Annual revenues were about $400 million. There was no salary cap. Today, the League has 32 teams, annual revenues are approaching $6 billion, and a salary cap is at the center of a stable economic system.
“Where we are and where we were,” Lites said, “it’s kind of unbelievable, frankly.”
Jacobs read a proclamation of the Board of Governors as the most powerful people in the NHL listened in silence for almost five minutes. Ten times, he started a bullet point with, “Whereas…”
The proclamation covered the economic system, revenue increase, competitive balance, community impact, footprint growth, broadcast and digital rights deals, rule changes, player safety, and tentpole events like outdoor games.
Toward the end, Jacobs said, “The Board of Governors extends deep appreciation to Gary B. Bettman for his bold vision and indefatigable stewardship of the game.”
[RELATED: Read full proclamation to Commissioner Gary Bettman from NHL Board of Governors]
Finally, Jacobs looked up.
“That’s it, Gary,” Jacobs said. “That’s as good as it gets.”
The room erupted in laughter and applause.
“I think Jerry’s comments were dead on,” Lites said. “He’s been an unbelievably dynamic guy in a really hard, hard job.”
Lamoriello said, “Everything that Jerry said, it was eloquent. Gary’s been just tremendous for the League. … He wasn’t afraid to take a challenge. He’s comfortable in his own skin and in what he does. To me, that’s the most important thing.”
Jacobs presented Bettman with a framed copy of the proclamation. They posed for a quick photo, and then Bettman stashed the memento in the background, out of sight, and returned to his seat.
“I felt like I was sitting through ‘This Is Your Life,'” Bettman said, drawing more laughter.
Bettman thanked everyone. He is 70, Jacobs 82. He pointed out that when he was elected, he was 40, Jacobs 52.
“I don’t know listening to that whether I was getting emotional or nauseous,” Bettman said, drawing even more laughter. “As I think everybody knows, I’m not big on retrospectives, and also my operating mantra is, this isn’t about me.
“This is about the game, this is about the League, and this is about all of you, and nothing could have been accomplished over the last 30 years without the great support that I’ve gotten consistently from ownership, from people at the clubs. , from the great organizations that we have at the clubs and at the League office, from my running partner Mr. Daly.
“This is the ultimate team sport. For me at least, this has been the ultimate team effort, and I’m grateful to have spent the last 30 years doing it, and I hope the best is yet to come.”
Then Bettman got down to business.
“And now,” he said, “if we can get rid of the sentimentality and go to work, we have an agenda to get through.”
After the meeting broke up about 5 pm ET, Bettman spoke briefly to reporters.
“I actually can’t believe how quickly it’s gone,” the Commissioner said. “It’s been a fun ride. Sometimes a bit more fun than others, but it’s been a fun ride.”
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