NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman, pioneering black player Willie O’Ree and Martin Brodeur, the league’s all-time winningest goaltender, top the latest class for the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto.
Bettman has been commissioner since 1993, during which time the NHL has expanded its footprint across North America and increased to 31 teams. During Bettman’s tenure, the league has gone from a $437 million business to one with almost $5 billion in revenue.
O’Ree was the first black player in the NHL but he will be the third inducted into the Hall of Fame, joining Edmonton Oilers goalie Grant Fuhr and Canadian women’s national team captain Angela James.