NHL Gets Stern’s Top Assistant : Hockey: Owners select Bettman, who devised NBA’s salary cap, as first commissioner.

From the start, hockey’s powers said they wanted a David Stern type to guide the NHL through the 1990s and beyond.

Stern, commissioner of the NBA, was not available, so the NHL opted for the next best thing--Stern’s right-hand man, Gary Bettman, NBA senior vice president and general counsel.

Friday, Bettman was unanimously elected the NHL’s first officially designated commissioner at the Board of Governors meetings in Palm Beach, Fla. Bettman, 40, becomes the sixth leader of the league in its 76-year history--the past five held the title of “president”--and will officially assume the office on Feb. 1. He signed a five-year contract believed to be worth $1 million per year.

“I believe a commissioner has a responsibility to run the game as well as he can for the benefit of everyone by making its product as attractive as possible to the greatest number of fans,” Bettman said. “I had heard a lot about the NHL owners. . . . They’re very committed to the league, and the show of unity the last two days speaks well for the future.”

NHL President Gil Stein, 64, who replaced John Ziegler in June, campaigned for the position but withdrew from consideration before the vote when it became apparent that Bettman was the owners’ prohibitive favorite.

“No one asked me to step down, except my wife,” said Stein, who will stay on as president until June and then have his status re-evaluated by Bettman.

“My love for the governors--my friends--and my love of the game made my decision clear to step down so we remain unified for the challenge ahead.

“If we were going to go forward, whoever was going to lead should have that support. It was no good for me or Gary to take over a divided league.”

Bettman has had varied experience. He was responsible for the NBA’s legal department and was involved in collective bargaining and television negotiations. His biggest contribution was devising the NBA’s salary cap.

In other league news, the board concluded its meetings a day early and postponed a decision until next month on whether to allow NHL players to compete in the 1994 Winter Olympics.

Bettman wants time to review the situation before a choice is made. He was with the NBA’s Dream Team in Barcelona and recognizes the value of the publicity and exposure the Olympics offer. But, say opponents of the proposal, shutting down the league for a month could prove too problematic.

The owners are split virtually 50-50 on the issue, and the debate in Florida was said to have been intense. Bettman said he wanted more time before putting the proposal to a formal vote and also wanted to end a climactic two days of meetings on a positive note.

“Everybody predicted there was going to be this big war,” said Ed Snider, Flyer owner. “And it turned out we’re more together than ever.”