THE HOCKEY NEWS looks back on "30 years of Gary Bettman." From his earliest days as NHL Commissioner, Bettman has been a "keen observer of history and a fierce owner advocate." He has become the "longest-tenured commissioner of all the big-four team sports" because he "always knew who he was working for: the owners." Bettman has been "aware of exactly who butters his bread," and he has "served his employers with a dogged determination that has endeared himself to them." However, one of Bettman’s "most astute moves was the lesson he learned from his first labor showdown against the NHLPA in the 1994-95 league lockout: he had to protect the owners from themselves." There is a "reason why the league has renewed the current CBA in recent years without meaningful change to it: team owners know how good they’ve got it." That speaks to the "legacy Bettman has created after his numerous run-ins with the NHLPA."
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