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Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
Sport
Helene Elliott

Helene Elliott: Gary Bettman doesn't care if fans hate him. Why his NHL reign has lasted 30 years.

Gary Bettman NHL NBA David Stern Allan Walsh Coyotes Kings

Gary Bettman made a name for himself in the 1980s as the NBA's general counsel and third-in-command, the sharp, young lawyer who created the league's salary cap. Working alongside Commissioner David Stern, Bettman helped stabilize the NBA and transform it into a star-centric league watched by a global audience.

Still, it was a surprise when the NHL, seeking a chief executive who could get them a salary cap and revenue boost, landed on Bettman. He wasn't born into hockey or part of its old boys' network. He was from Queens, N.Y., not Canada.

"When I first heard about it, I sent the guy a puck and I heard he spent all day at his desk trying to figure out how to open it up," said Pat Williams, then general manager of the NBA's Orlando Magic.

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