NHL commi sioner Gary Bettman has a new contract through 2022 The polarizing leader of the league will not confirm his contract status.That timeline would keep Bettman in power ahead Alvin Kamara Jersey of the expiration of the current collective bargaining agreement, ensuring the executive will be part of the negotiations with the NHLPA. Other initiatives that will remain important in the coming years include the s expansion efforts, the return of the World Cup of Hockey, two negotiations with the IIHF and IOC regarding the Olympics in 2018 and 2022 and the celebration of the NHLs centennial in 2017.Though the 63-year-old executive seems to remain unpopular among fans, he has long had the confidence of the people who matter most in terms of keeping his job. The NHLs board of governors can cite rising revenues, growing popularity of the league and several strategic decisions that have proven extremely effective in growing the league as reasons to extend Bettmans contract.The commi sioner has surely not been without fault, though. He is the face of the leagues busine Andrus Peat Jersey s operations and that puts him front and center when it comes to things like the concu sions lawsuit from former players that the league will be defending itself against. Bettman has made some eyebrow-raising remarks regarding CTE in the aftermath and could continue to figure prominently as the lawsuit progre ses.There are also those three lockouts during his term as commi sioner that has left a bad taste in the mouth of fans and is one of the contributing factors to Bettman Trevor Penning Jersey being booed any time he has to take a microphone in a public setting. However, the league continues to come out stronger on the other side of those dark days and the NHL appears more stable today than it has ever been post-expansion. There may be a few organizations that remain at risk for being moved elsewhere, but that seems le s likely as league revenues grow and they continue explore expanding to Las Vegas and Quebec City, Quebec.Now the NHL has multiple new initiatives that could continue the positive momentum. Expansion is a big one as the large expansion fees would be filtered to member clubs and could expand the league's footprint. Las Vegas is a particularly Deonte Harris Jersey intriguing option as more pro leagues explore the viability of a team there.There Shy Tuttle Jersey 's also the leagues partnership with Advanced Media that could end up revolutionizing the way the league engages fans digitally. On top of that, there's the continued succe s of the outdoor games including the Winter Cla sic and Stadium Series events, the World Cup with a high potential for succe s and other league initiatives that could prove fruitful.Like him or not, Bettman has by and large done his job and it should come as no surprise that he reportedly has a new contract.