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Gary Bettman's Successor is Already Known, Per Jeff Marek

Originally posted on House of Hockey | By Tom Banks | Last updated Sep 3, 2025 12:54 AM ET

Gary Bettman's time as Commissioner in the NHL is running out, and Jeff Marek has revealed who the obvious successor to the role is.

Back in 1993, Gary Bettman took over as the Commissioner of the National Hockey League, and since that time the business has been booming, even with the criticism that he gets from hockey fans around the world.

Now, the salary cap continues to steadily increase while there are now 32 teams in the league making big money, but at 73-years of age, there's only so much time he has left in the role.

Why Bill Daly Is the Front-Runner to Replace Bettman

When Bettman does step down from his role, there are many great candidates to potentially succeed him, and on the latest episode of the DLLS Stars podcast, Insider Jeff Marek made the prediction on who that will be.

I do expect it to be Billy Daly.

At 61-years of age, Daly serves as the Deputy Commissioner of the NHL, serving in the role since 2005, with many expecting him to simply carry on things the way that Bettman has done.

How a Daly Era Could Shape the NHL's Future

Under Bettman, Canadian teams have struggled with many calling out the implicit bias that they perceive him to have, and while 32 teams is already enough, with business booming and the NHL's interest at an all-time high, there's bound to be more teams by the time Daly takes over.

Ultimately, many fans are looking for change when Bettman departs his role, but with Daly, it will clearly be business as usual, but if the business of the league continues to grow, owners will be very happy about that.

This article first appeared on House of Hockey and was syndicated with permission.

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