Gary Bettman and NHL's Massive DAZN Streaming Deal Spans 200 Countries

In February 1993, Gary Bettman officially succeeded Gil Stein as commissioner. While he certainly isn't universally liked by many fans across the league, he has undeniably increased profits and visibility significantly.

The NHL is thriving like never before, and Bettman is currently receiving a flood of applications from new cities hoping to join the best hockey league in the world.

Bettman is a visionary and someone who's not afraid to make bold decisions. In the end, most of his bets have paid off, even if, in Quebec, many would prefer to see him announce the return of the Nordiques to the Centre Vidéotron and revive that legendary rivalry.

The coming years might be tough for Nordiques fans, as all signs point to the commissioner and his team giving the green light for Atlanta to return to the league once again. However, hope shouldn't be lost - the story of the Winnipeg Jets is a great example of that.

It's now official: DAZN has secured a deal with the NHL to stream games online.

However, the broadcasts will only be available to Montreal Canadiens fans and other NHL fans who are located outside of Canada and the United States. DAZN will also stream games during the playoffs.

This is good news if you're traveling or living abroad outside Canada and the U.S., as you'll still be able to watch Canadiens games.

The news was confirmed early Wednesday morning on social media.

This deal does not affect the Canadian market.

However, nearly 200 countries - excluding Canada, the United States, and the Nordic countries - will have access to NHL games.