Bettman says he hasn't given the Board of Governors a timeline, but the executive committee is in a formal process of finding a successor.

At 72, Gary Bettman is in no rush to step into retirement. But the NHL has started taking steps to creating a suitable succession plan for when that day comes.

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman is the longest-tenured chief executive across all North American professional sports leagues all time at 32 years, but his

Minnesota Wild owner Craig Leipold said that the exec committee of the NHL BOG has begun planning for Commissioner Gary Bettman’s retirement in 'a couple years' and has started the process of finding a successor for the longest-tenured commissioner in North American sports.

As you may have seen, Gary Bettman is preparing for his retirement. The NHL commissioner, as Michael Russo and Chris Johnston from The Athletic inform us, is quietly starting to think about when he will retire.

Bettman has served as the NHL commissioner since 1993 but he's not made any official announcement regarding his retirement. On Thursday, following Leipold's comments, Bettman clarified that no timeline has been set for his departure.

The Edmonton Oilers and Connor McDavid have put some pressure on the NHL to improve officiating, but one media member wants to go further by relieving Gary Bettman of his duties as commissioner.

The NHL is starting to think about life without Gary Bettman. Though Bettman's retirement isn't imminent, Minnesota Wild owner Craig Leipold told The Athletic's Michael Russo and Chris Johnston that the Board of Governors' executive committee has formally begun the process of finding a replacement for the longtime NHL commissioner.

The Athletic's Michael Russo and Chris Johnston reported Thursday that commissioner Gary Bettman informed the league's executive committee to prepare for his retirement. Per that report, Bettman has not decided when exactly he'll step down but it's likely still a few years in the future.

The NHL has been led by Gary Bettman for more than three decades since he was appointed as the Commissioner of the league in 1993. The 72-year-old executive has shepherded the game of hockey through multiple lockouts and sweeping changes to the sport on a national and international level.