from Nicholas J. Cotsonika of NHL.com

To appreciate why NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman has been elected to the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame, consider this:

Commissioner Bettman will be inducted with Brian Gionta, Neal Henderson, Tim Thomas and Krissy Wendell in Washington, D.C., on Dec. 12. Less than three weeks later, the Nashville Predators will play the Dallas Stars in the 2020 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic at Cotton Bowl Stadium.

Before Commissioner Bettman took office Feb. 1, 1993, the NHL didn't have teams in Nashville or Dallas. College football owned New Year's Day in the United States. Now, the Predators and Stars will play in an iconic college football venue Jan. 1 before some 80,000 fans and a national TV audience on NBC.

Who would have imagined years ago that tickets would sell out in hours to an outdoor hockey game deep in the heart of Texas between teams from southern cities?

Commissioner Bettman won the Lester Patrick Trophy for outstanding service to hockey in the United States in 2001 and made the Hockey Hall of Fame last year. This is a natural.

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