Bad news for Gary Bettman’s haters: it doesn’t sound like he’s hanging up the loafers anytime soon.
The NHL signed its commissioner to new contract that goes through the 2021-22 season, according to Sports Illustrated’s Michael Farber. In case you’re wondering about the timing, that deal runs through the league’s current Collective Bargaining Agreement with the NHLPA.
Farber didn’t specify the financial terms, so we can only imagine if his “cap hit” exceeds that of the $10.5 million pulled in by Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane. (There’s a decent chance, as it was last reported at $9.6 million.)
This new contract is not official via the NHL, mind you; Bettman deflected the question when Farber asked him:
According to sources, Gary Bettman has signed a new contract through 2022. He declined comment, saying he never discusses his own situation.
— Michael Farber (@MichaelFarber3) January 31, 2016
(Yes, it’s too early to worry about another lockout ... but no, you’re not alone in doing so.)
Anyway, no unrestricted free agency for Bettman. In case you’re wondering, he’s not exactly in a rush to make sweeping changes to the sport.
Gary Bettman: "Should there be more scoring? That's something we'll discuss with the GMs. There's no universal view on that."
— Josh Yohe (@JoshYohe_PGH) January 30, 2016