An emotional Commissioner Bettman didn't speak with reporters outside the Detroit church where Howe was remembered during a funeral service that touched upon the player, husband, parent, grandparent and timeless fan favorite.
"The service was beautiful, done with elegance and grace. Which was so befitting," the Commissioner said. "This was clearly a testament to a man who was not just respected and revered, but beloved.
"The most moving part of the day, and what told me he was Mr. Hockey, weren't necessarily the same thing. To me, the eulogy at a funeral is the most important thing, and Murray [Howe] couldn't have been more eloquent in encapsulating his father, as a father, a family man and as Mr. Hockey."
Commissioner Bettman said he believes he first met Howe at a League event; perhaps it was an All-Star Game or another event, or maybe just a Detroit Red Wings game at Joe Louis Arena.
"He couldn't have been more welcoming, more gracious. But he did start with an elbow," the Commissioner said, laughing.
Commissioner Bettman recalled the way Howe would walk into a convention center, the site of an NHL All-Star Game Fan Fest, simply wading into a sea of people and being swallowed whole by the throng.
"There are a lot of players, a lot of people, who don't like being in those crowds," he said. "Gordie relished it. Little children who never actually saw him play would react to Mr. Hockey. It looked like this was his greatest joy: playing with and smiling at or giving autographs to these young people, taking pictures with them."