On McDavid, Bettman said Thursday, "I understand the frustration, and it's something we're going to continue to monitor."

Minnesota Wild owner Craig Leipold has revealed that NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman is expected to retire in the near future, and the search for his successor is already underway.

At 72, Gary Bettman is in no rush to step into retirement. But the NHL has started taking steps to creating a suitable succession plan for when that day comes.

Yahoo Sports AM is our daily newsletter that keeps you up to date on all things sports. Sign up here to get it every weekday morning. 🎾 Aussie semifinals: No. 1 Jannik Sinner beat No. 21 Ben Shelton in straight sets and No. 2 Alexander Zverev won in a walkover against No. 7 Novak Djokovic, who withdrew with a leg injury after losing the first set.

The Edmonton Oilers and Connor McDavid have put some pressure on the NHL to improve officiating, but one media member wants to go further by relieving Gary Bettman of his duties as commissioner.

The NHL is starting to think about life without Gary Bettman. Though Bettman's retirement isn't imminent, Minnesota Wild owner Craig Leipold told The Athletic's Michael Russo and Chris Johnston that the Board of Governors' executive committee has formally begun the process of finding a replacement for the longtime NHL commissioner.

ICE ROAD HOCKEY: Jay Croop a retired hockey player who played for the Columbus River Dragons in Georgia playing Ice hockey on Canal Street, New Orleans tonight! Roads are now sheets of ice from compaction. Conditions will be extremely dangerous tonight and tomorrow. It's… pic.twitter.com/WDDHMcPzUA

Gary Bettman's future as NHL Commissioner is a major storyline in our Daily, as is how the New York Rangers are making playoff contenders look like pretenders in recent run.

As you may have seen, Gary Bettman is preparing for his retirement. The NHL commissioner, as Michael Russo and Chris Johnston from The Athletic inform us, is quietly starting to think about when he will retire.

Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman believes NHL commissioner Gary Bettman has a pretty good idea of what his retirement plan is and when he will announce it.

Perhaps the sunshine eventually got the better of the Pittsburgh Penguins. They followed their thorough beatdown of the LA Kings with a disjointed and sloppy loss to the lowly Anaheim Ducks. Neither Sigmuend Freud nor Dr.