The NHL's small market assistance plan, known as the
Canadian Assistance Plan [CAP], may not be renewed when it
expires in '98 "because some club owners are mad" at Oilers Owner
Peter Pocklington, according to David Shoalts of the Toronto
GLOBE & MAIL. An NHL source says Pocklington has "enraged some
of his fellow NHL owners because they believe he has simply taken
his payment from the plan and deposited it in the bank rather
than spend it on player contracts or other team improvements."
Shoalts notes sources who put the amount of money Pocklington has
received to anywhere from C$1.5M-5M. Pocklington could not be
reached for comment. Devils Owner John McMullen said part of the
problem is that "when governors adopted the plan, the rules for
how the grants were to be used were not clear." McMullen said
that he is not even clear on the rules. The CAP was launched in
January to help small market Canadian teams compete and league
sources said three clubs qualified for the program: the Oilers,
Flames, and Senators. While an NHL source "could not confirm it,
McMullen said the Oilers received the most money" (Toronto GLOBE
& MAIL, 9/16).
