Gary Bettman spoke about NHL expansion in an interview with @SBJ ⬇️

Congrats Frank!

Gary Bettman is gearing up for his 34th season as NHL commissioner 🏒 He sat down with our @AlexMSilverman to discuss expansion, media rights, international growth, succession planning and more. Interview: ow.ly/zPcZ50ZRsmQ

Commissioner Gary Bettman tells @SBJ in his @NHL season preview Q&A that he intends to monitor whether no-trade protection "has been abused." He also said that among owners skeptical of expansion, key concerns may be price and "competitive issues." sportsbusinessjournal.com/Ar…

Capitals owner Ted Leonsis, the new chair of the NHL Board of Governors, tells @SBJ that he personally supports expansion beyond 32 teams. “Nothing but positive things happened in the NHL when we went from 30 teams to 32 teams.” sportsbusinessjournal.com/Ar…

It's "select" in the sense that it's not the full local slate. But it's obviously a lot more than the Stars (17), who have a similar model.

Some breaking news in PDX… Portland Thorns have parted ways with Alexis Lee, the team President of Business, per sources.

Definitely. The league said it is in discussions with additional carriers. I would imagine Comcast (big in Minnesota and St. Louis) and DirecTV (available nationally) would be priority targets.

Breaking at @SBJ: Charter's Spectrum will carry local telecasts of the Blue Jackets, Blues, Hurricanes and Wild under a multiyear carriage agreement negotiated centrally by the NHL. This ensures some linear distribution in addition to Amazon streaming. sportsbusinessjournal.com/Ar…

Breaking: The @NHL Board of Governors has selected Capitals owner Ted Leonsis as its new chairman. 86-year-old Bruins owner Jeremy Jacobs, who had held the position since 2007, has stepped down. Flames owner Murray Edwards will be vice chair.

Small but of note: #NYR will announce Garden of Dreams as their new official jersey patch partner this season. “It was an honor to have Game 7 as our Jersey Patch Partner last season, given our relationship with Rangers legend Mark Messier, and look forward to featuring the Foundation this year,” a spokesperson said.

🚨 FIFA Women’s Champions Cup 2027™ to be played at home of @InterMiamiCF 🏆 Intercontinental women’s club champions to be crowned in January 2027 🇲🇽 🇪🇸 Mexico’s @AmericaFemenil and Spanish @FCBfemeni have already qualified 🌴🏟️ Last-four showdowns, including bronze final and trophy decider to be contested in Miami 🗞️ inside.fifa.com/organisation…

New at @SBJ: The USL is making a significant change to its economic model, implementing a plan to share league-level revenue with its clubs. That includes expansion fees, which makes up a significant portion of league-level income. sportsbusinessjournal.com/Ar…

New at @SBJ: Breaking down the deals that will see Amazon’s @PrimeVideo serve as the local streaming home for six @NHL teams and what they mean for the broader sports media ecosystem. sportsbusinessjournal.com/Ar…

Breaking: UEFA has filed an application in U.S. federal court seeking permission to conduct discovery from FIFA’s U.S. entities “for use in a contemplated criminal proceeding" against FIFA President Gianni Infantino in Swiss court. More to come at @SBJ.

Full breakdown of every @NHL team's U.S. national TV appearances at @SBJ: sportsbusinessjournal.com/Ar…

Top @NHL teams by U.S. national TV appearances in 2026-27 (includes linear only on ESPN, ABC, TNT): 🏒Bruins: 20 🏒Penguins: 19 🏒Rangers: 18 🏒Flyers: 15 🏒Wild: 14 🏒Capitals: 14 Biggest gainers: 🏒Sabres: +7 🏒Sharks: +5 🏒Canadiens: +5

New at @SBJ: The Nashville Predators are the latest NHL team to launch a local streaming service powered by ViewLift. ViewLift was just acquired by DAZN, but the Preds have opted to operate their own standalone service rather than stream locally on DAZN. sportsbusinessjournal.com/Ar…

New at @SBJ: Atlanta United is offering season tickets for the upcoming @MLS sprint season at 2017 prices for those who buy it as part of a bundle with the subsequent 2027-28 season. Tickets for those seven matches will be 40% cheaper than this season. sportsbusinessjournal.com/Ar…

Agreed. The possibility that we may come out of this with another blue fisherman is maddening.