NHL commissioner Gary Bettman says the league will generate record revenues of more than $5.2 billion this season. And that total may be conservative.

Holding court Wednesday with deputy commissioner Bill Daly before Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final between the Avalanche and the Lightning, Bettman praised the league and its partners at large for completing the first 82-game regular season in two years. That provided the foundation for a much-needed financial recovery.

"What we've done is we've [continued to operate], we've done the fundamentals of our business," Bettman said.