NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman, pioneering black player Willie O’Ree and Martin Brodeur, the league’s all-time winningest goaltender, top the latest class for the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto.
Penguins general manager Jim Rutherford was considered a possibility for this year’s class but did not make the list of honorees announced Tuesday.
Bettman has been commissioner since 1993, during which time the NHL has expanded its footprint across North America and increased to 31 teams. During Bettman’s tenure, the league has gone from a $437 million business to one with almost $5 billion in revenue.