Bettman, who has been on the job for 31 years, was very complimentary of Marty Walsh, the former Boston mayor and secretary of labor, who now is the NHLPA’s executive director . Bettman said his relationship with Walsh and the union are “absolutely” in a great place ahead of talks.
NHL commissioner Gary Bettman checked in from the ninth floor of TD Garden during the Bruins’ Centennial Game , giving updates on several topics, including the upcoming collective bargaining agreement negotiations, the 4 Nations Face-Off , and the Olympics, among others.
“Marty Walsh is turning out to be a great partner. We have a little collective bargaining to do, which will start in February, and I’m pretty confident I won’t change my answer to the question when you ask me at the end of the year,” said Bettman. “Both organizations are working very well together, and I’m pleased to have Marty as a partner and now as a friend.”
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The CBA expires on Sept. 15, 2026, and Bettman has expressed confidence that a new deal will be struck well in advance of that date.
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“That would be nice,” Bettman said. “It would be purely supplicative on my part to answer that. Marty has a responsibility to his players. He’s got a lot of players to talk to, and in terms of that level of communication, my job is a little bit easier in terms of the people I have to interact with, so don’t put a hard wall, focusing on how long this is going to take. I hope it will go smoothly. I hope it will move quickly, but don’t read too much into it in case it gets a little longer than people are speculating. That doesn’t mean the process isn’t working right or we’re not getting along.”
Bettman described ticket sales for the 4 Nations, to be played in Montreal (Feb. 12-15) and Boston (Feb. 17-20), as “brisk” and noted that they make “great stocking stuffers.”
Getting back on the international stage was important to so many NHL players and was the spark for the league and the union to agree on parameters for the 4 Nations and the 2026 Olympics.
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“Well, that’s the reason, ultimately, we decided to go back to the Olympics,” said Bettman. “As you all know, there is an element of disruption by taking a couple of week break to go to the Olympics. But it was clear to me that it was important to the players based on where they all come from, based on the long-term traditions of the game.
“Although people tend to forget that prior to ‘98, when I figured out how to get them into the Olympics, it wasn’t NHL players who went to the Olympics, but the players, and — including on a one-on-one basis — made it clear to me that this was important. And in fact, when we announced we were going back, it was [2024] All-Star Weekend, a number of the players came up to me and said that they were thrilled and thankful that we were doing it. We got it. And on balance it’s still going to be a little disruptive, but on balance we think it’s going to be worth it.”
Asked how hard Walsh pushed for his hometown to be one of the 4 Nations venues, Bettman said there wasn’t much haggling.
“This was really collaborative. I mean it’s not about how hard to push buttons or how hard they’re being pushed,” he said. “It’s really more a question that we’re working together to figure out what the best, most sensible things to do are for the game, for the players, and for the league.”
Bettman said the league is committed to staying on the world stage for the foreseeable future.
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“I’m envisioning the next eight years after we do 4 Nations [as] Olympics, World Cup, two years later, Olympics, World Cup, and I think we’re going to try and be on that cycle,” he said. “Now things could intervene that might cause us to reevaluate, but our intention is to move forward again because we know how important it’s to the players and we know the fans like it as well.”
Among the other matters Bettman addressed:
▪ Holding international NHL games: “There is a lot of worldwide interest, whether it’s Ireland, [and] somebody just reported to me that NHL hockey is incredibly popular in India. And so, we are more focused now that we’re bringing back international competition and we’re working more closely with the players association. I think you’ll see us in more places.”
▪ The Utah Hockey Club: “When you think about what [owners] Ryan and Ashley Smith accomplished in the short period of time, once they closed on the franchise, in terms of getting training facilities, moving players, the organization selling tickets, doing everything that you have to do for a franchise, it is almost unbelievable how well they did it and what they accomplished.”
▪ A return to Arizona: “The first conversation we have to have to move forward is what are you going to do about a building? And that’s been the problem throughout the last few years and until that problem is solved, there’s really nothing to talk about. But it was a good market, and I think it would be a good market, but the building would still be an issue.”
▪ The NCAA’s decision to open eligibility to major junior league players: “We’re all going to have to adjust, and I believe we will, and it’s something I think we need to talk to the Players’ Association about in terms of how our entry rules will work in a new world. And that’s something we continue to study, and we’ll wind up discussing.”
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▪ The PWHL: “We have from the inception been helpful, cooperative with anything they’ve asked us to to get up and running. They had a great first season and, now that they’ve had a little more time to plan things, I’m confident they’re going to have an even better second season.”
Jim McBride can be reached at james.mcbride@globe.com. Follow him @globejimmcbride.