Gary Bettman takes a shot at prominent insider when asked about his pending retirement

Back in January, it was reported that NHL commissioner Gary Bettman had informed the NHL’s Board of Governor’s his plans for retirement and will walk away from the sport “in a couple years.”

Bettman has been the NHL’s top executive since 1993 and has grown the league from 24 to 32 teams with an aggressive expansion into non-traditional American markets. He has grown the league into a $7 billion per year business with franchise valuations that exceed multi-billions per team.

On Wednesday, Bettman held a press conference following the GM meetings and was asked by insider Pierre LeBrun about his pending retirement.

Bettman took a shot at the insider himself, poking fun at the situation, which still leaves fans in the dark about a precise timeline for his departure. This is what Bettman answered when LeBrun asked if he had updated the GMs on his future as NHL commissioner:

“Absolutely not. You keep trying to get rid of me. No such luck. I’m going to see if I can outlast you.”

When his colleague Chris Johnston posted the interaction on social media, LeBrun reacted and seemed to enjoy the banter with the commissioner.

Fans might not enjoy it as much, looking to find out more about Bettman’s leave and his eventual replacement. It remains to be seen exactly what happens with Bettman, but it’s clear that the league has begun the process of seeking its next leader.

Minnesota Wild owner Craig Leipold revealed earlier in January that the executive committee had begun the formal process of finding Bettman’s successor.

But not so fast seems to be saying Bettman.