{"podcast":{"title":"NHL Wraparound Podcast","slug":"nhl-wraparound-podcast-6738916","podcast_index_feed_id":6738916,"rss_url":"https://feeds.captivate.fm/nhl-wraparound-podcast/","website_url":"https://nhl-wraparound-podcast.captivate.fm","image_url":"https://artwork.captivate.fm/b1f011ee-519a-4697-8650-bceee856df78/EY-HiA10QW6j_adqQ0EhGDtC.png","author":"Neil Smith & Vic Morren","episode_count":500,"summary":"Breadth and depth. Contemporary and historical. Straight-forward and experienced. The NHL Wraparound podcast features Neil Smith, President-General Manager of the 1994 Stanley Cup Champion New York Rangers and longtime ESPN/NHL veteran Vic Morren sharing no-nonsense opinions on news and issues around the National Hockey League. Bringing decades of experience from their respective fields, Smith and Morren create a unique partnership that examines the NHL from multiple perspectives. Additionally, as hockey historians, the pair can delve into any topic in today’s game and enlighten the audience with connections to events from previous years. To truly appreciate where hockey stands today, one needs to understand its past. With 2024 marking the 30th anniversary of the Rangers last championship season, a special five-part series is planned to commemorate that magical run. Expect fascinating behind-the-scenes stories and special guests with particular focus on the GM who pushed all of his chips into the middle of the table amidst the most pressurized environments – and came out on top. Whether you’re new to the game or a seasoned fan, each episode of NHL Wraparound will leave you enterta…","last_synced_at":"2026-07-22T12:20:08.812828+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/nhl-wraparound-podcast-6738916"},"episode":{"title":"Episode 100 - A Discussion with NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman","slug":"episode-100-a-discussion-with-nhl-commissioner-gary-bettman","published_at":"2026-05-24T15:00:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/nhl-wraparound-podcast-6738916/episode-100-a-discussion-with-nhl-commissioner-gary-bettman","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/nhl-wraparound-podcast-6738916","url":"https://nhl-wraparound-podcast.captivate.fm/episode/episode-100-a-discussion-with-nhl-commissioner-gary-bettman","audio_url":"https://episodes.captivate.fm/episode/53c31a47-3cd1-4868-b13e-d3a6bac68818.mp3","summary":"NHL Wraparound launched its first guest episode on Jan. 30, 2024 with Wayne Gretzky joining Neil and Vic. Less than 2.5 years and multiple franchises later, the 100th episode of the flagship show goes right to the top again for an insightful discussion with the man serving the longest as head of any of the North American pro sports, commissioner Gary Bettman. The 35-minute interview hits on numerous topics from his growing up in New York to the experience of presenting the Stanley Cup and plenty in between. IN THIS EPISODE: [01:49] - NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman joins Neil and Vic and shares his early years growing up as a fan in New York, which became further enhanced when going to college at Cornell. Also a little fun about an old Bettman family business. [08:04] - Bettman shares what he took from his NBA experience with commissioner David Stern into the position he's held with the NHL since 1993. [10:53] - Expansion. The NHL has grown from 24 to 32 teams under Bettman's leadership. Is there a true right number of teams to aspire to grow to given the difficulty of winning the Stanley Cup? [14:01] - Player safety. The standard NHL rink has been 200' x 85' since 1929 while the average player size has moved grown by over four inches and nearly 30 pounds. Given the speed of today's game, is there reason for concern? [16:33] - Load management and the debate of whether playoff solidified teams should be permitted to sit players in games against teams still fighting for playoff spots. [19:21] - The current relationship with current NHLPA head Marty Walsh. Having gone through three lockouts - including losing the entire 2004-05 season working with Walsh's predecessors, there is labor peace in the NHL through at least September of 2030. [21:33] - The obligation to the media,…","meta_description":"NHL Wraparound launched its first guest episode on Jan. 30, 2024 with Wayne Gretzky joining Neil and Vic. Less than 2.5 years and multiple franchises late…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":2475,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/nhl-wraparound-podcast-6738916/episodes/episode-100-a-discussion-with-nhl-commissioner-gary-bettman/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/nhl-wraparound-podcast-6738916/episode-100-a-discussion-with-nhl-commissioner-gary-bettman.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}