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Bettman Delivers Salary Cap Report To
NHL BOG, With Reports Of $3M Jump |
The NHL salary cap "may be on the rise next season," according to David Shoalts of the GLOBE & MAIL. NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman "gave the governors a report at their annual meeting on Monday of what the league's executives believe the cap will be next season, based on revenue so far in 2010-11." While Bettman "did not make an official announcement, word around the annual meetings is that the cap could rise by as much as" $3M to $62.4M. The increase is "based on the assumption the NHL players will invoke their right to bump the projected cap by" 5%, which they have done "every year since the collective agreement was reached in 2005." If the cap hits $62.4M, the floor will be $46.4M (GLOBESPORTS.com, 12/6).
TRYING TO KEEP UP: SPORTING NEWS TODAY's Craig Custance notes the NHL salary cap "has increased every year" since the '04-05 lockout, which "could become a dangerous trend for small-market teams spending near the salary cap floor" (SPORTING NEWS TODAY, 12/7). In Montreal, Pat Hickey writes the potential salary cap increase "means more money for the players to divide, but it also means more hardship for the 16 NHL teams that are losing money," according to Forbes' latest valuations. Some of those teams "will go deeper in debt trying to keep up with the Canadiens, Blackhawks, Leafs and the Rangers, while other teams will struggle to reach the cap floor" (Montreal GAZETTE, 12/7). TSN's Darren Dreger: "It's a good news/bad news scenario when you look at the adjustment of the NHL salary cap. ... We know that there are NHL teams out there now that have had trouble spending to get to the floor of the National Hockey League salary cap." Versus' Billy Jaffe" "I just don't think it's a smart move for the league. ... I just don't like the feel of this and where it's leading the league right now. It's going to be unsustainable for a lot of teams out there, and in 2012 we have another CBA coming up" ("NHL Overtime," Versus, 12/6).
