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Gary Bettman’s Heated Rivalry Fantasies

The NHL is having a breakout season thanks to its competitive parity, emerging stars, Olympic buzz, and, yes, Heated Rivalry. But with the NFL rights renegotiations about to potentially blow up the sports media marketplace, commissioner Gary Bettman knows that his league will need to stay limber to maintain its gains.

Gary Bettman
"Because sports content is the most important and most valuable, it’s going to maintain its premier position. It’s just a question of how it gets distributed and how it gets bundled," says Gary Bettman. Photo: Hunter Dyke/NHLI/Getty Images
John Ourand
March 9, 2026

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Spirits around the NHL head office are buoyant these days. The league has seen viewership increase about 30 percent this season, and hockey is enjoying a rare turn in the zeitgeist. Gary Bettman, who is in his fourth decade as commissioner, is plenty happy about his league’s surge in popularity. And yet he also recognizes what even a casual observer can grasp: No matter how good the vibes are at the moment, there’s a potential seismic shift in the offing.