N.H.L. Commissioner Gary Bettman will be deposed next month by lawyers representing the former players who have accused the league of hiding the dangers of repeated head trauma and promoting violence on the ice.
Judge Susan Richard Nelson of United States District Court in Minnesota has allowed lawyers for the 80 or so retired players to proceed with discovery — including questioning Bettman — while she considers a motion by the N.H.L. to dismiss the case. In March, Nelson denied a separate motion to dismiss.
Bettman will be deposed on July 31, according to lawyers who attended a hearing in front of Nelson on Thursday.