Gary Bettman's replacement just got some bad news

Elliotte Friedman laid out the framework on 32 Thoughts, and it centers on two major pieces of unfinished business before any handover happens.

Friedman's reporting points to a clear sequence. Bettman wants to finalize NHL expansion into Houston or Austin, along with Atlanta, and lock in a new US television deal before stepping back.

Those two developments would inject massive new revenue into the league and give Bettman what Friedman described as a chance to "walk off into the sunset" on his own terms, rather than being pushed out.

Once that checklist is complete, Bettman is expected to shift into a different role entirely, possibly Vice Chair of the Board of Governors or a senior advisory position, while handing the Commissioner title to longtime deputy Bill Daly.

What remains genuinely unresolved is the mechanism. Daly has been the presumed successor for years given his two decades as Bettman's right hand.

However, as Elliotte Friedman reported, the league might be looking for a more formal search.

Reporting on the succession plan has been consistent on the destination, Daly taking over, while staying vague on the process that gets him there.

With Bettman turning 74 this year and expansion talks with Houston and Atlanta advancing, the timeline could stretch into 2029 or 2030.

For now, the league's next chapter has a likely leading man, even if the path to get him there is still being written.

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