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Bill Daly

NHL GM Meetings Roundup: Salary Cap, LTIR, No Trade Clause, Russian Draft Picks, Officiating, Revenue

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With the conclusion of this year’s NHL GM Meetings, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman and Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly gathered for media availability earlier today to discuss the meetings, including their thoughts on certain hot topics, potential changes to rules, and the overall state of the game.

One change reported earlier was that the salary cap is expected to increase by $1MM next year to $82.5MM. Although the salary cap is expected to remain flat through 2024-25, Bettman clarified that a $1MM increase on the cap is still in-line with a flat cap. Albeit a small change, the extra space could stand to benefit some teams who are already dangerously close to the cap ceiling and project to be in the same position next year. Bettman did add that after 2024-25, he expects that the cap would increase more substantially.

  • On the much-discussed LTIR situation in the NHL, Bettman and Daly did not express much concern, a relay of the feelings of the 32 teams. Bettman did acknowledge the situation, but said that it was “not going to be addressed as a front-burner issue anytime soon.” In regards to teams who have players return right at the start of playoffs, a seemingly convenient occurrence, Daly clarified the NHL’s process of handling these issues, noting that the league, when a player is placed into LTIR, requests the projected date of return, and if that date is around the start of the playoffs, they do look deeper into it and may even use an independent medical expert to verify the proposed timetable.
  • Touching on no-trade and no-movement clauses in light of the Evgenii Dadonov non-trade, Daly said that the league has already had discussions with the NHLPA about the possibility of having a rule requiring all such clauses to be filed with both the NHL Central Registry and the NHLPA. Ultimately, a new software that the two sides could share to store and access the clauses, appeared to be an idea on the table for the league. To get the process started, Daly added that a draft letter agreement had been written and the league was planning on sharing that with the NHLPA today in hopes of jumpstarting negotiations.
  • When asked about any possible restrictions on Russian players in the upcoming NHL Entry Draft, Daly did not anticipate any restrictions, but did qualify that the state of the world could be much different at that time.
  • On the topic of officiating, Bettman explained that he thought the officiating meeting went well, with the topic of the meeting being merely an update, and that it was otherwise uneventful. Bettman also appeared surprised that anyone thought the meeting could be construed as contentious and did not share those beliefs when asked.
  • One last topic that many hockey fans may gloss over, is revenue. Bettman mentioned that the league expects revenue to once again hit the $5B mark this year, notwithstanding the attendance restrictions and movement of games in the Canadian markets in late 2021 and early 2022.

NHL Suspends Agreement With KHL

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After the NHL cut business relations with Russia recently, they’ve taken things even further in a memo sent to teams yesterday. Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff was first to report that the league has cut ties with the KHL following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, telling teams to cease contact and suspending the memorandum of understanding between the two leagues.

Bill Daly told clubs in the memo that they will now “have only limited contractual information regarding players who are currently or last played in the KHL.” Teams will now have to go through the Central Registry to request contract information on a player’s contractual status and produce “independent written evidence” that shows a player is entirely free of KHL obligations, before signing them for the 2022-23 season.

Previously the two leagues did not operate under a transfer agreement but had an MOU indicating that they would respect contract terms. According to Seravalli, the NHL has told the KHL that it will continue to respect existing and future contracts, though communication will now be cut off.

This will certainly complicate not only free agency but the upcoming draft, which was already a point of discussion given the possibility that young Russian athletes would be denied work visas to enter Canada and the United States. Danila Yurov, for instance, was expected to go near the top of the 2022 draft but is still under contract with Magnitogorsk for the 2022-23 season at least. Without continued communication, it’s hard to know whether an NHL team that drafts him will be able to even speak with the young forward, though the memo does indicate that teams are still allowed to work with North American-based agents.

There are also several pending KHL free agents like Andrei Kuzmenko who were expected to sign after the KHL playoffs are completed. Kuzmenko was drawing the attention of many NHL teams around the league after an outstanding season, where he scored 20 goals and 53 points in 45 games. It is now completely unclear whether his immediate future lies in North America or if he will re-sign in Russia and stay with SKA.

IIHF President Luc Tardif Promises NHL In 2026 Olympics, 2022 WJC Make-Up

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Stop me if you’ve heard this one before: there is optimism that the NHL will participate in the next Winter Olympic Games. Despite participation being agreed to in the most recent Collective Bargaining Agreement, the NHL pulled out of the current Beijing games late, citing Coronavirus as the main concern though many existed. After two consecutive Winter Olympics without NHL participation, it is hard to guarantee anything but IIHF President Luc Tardif is ready to do just that.

In a report by Stephen Whyno for the Associated Press, Tardif states that he is confident that NHLers will return to the Olympic Games in 2026 when the event takes place in Milan and Cortina, Italy. Tardif does not expect there to be any mitigating factors in 2026 as there were this year and that the league will honor the agreement with the NHLPA, IIHF, and IOC to allow their stars to represent their countries on the largest international stage. Tardif briefly mentioned that while he sees plenty of merit in moving the hockey tournament to the Summer Games, he does not see that happening and believes the NHL can make it work in-season. He hopes that an agreement on the terms of participation can be agreed to well ahead of time, at least a year before the tournament starts.

Whyno adds that NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly appears to be on the same page. Daly has stated that the league does not foresee any issues with participation and expect an agreement “on a relatively expedited basis.”

As for other IIHF events impacted by COVID this year, Tardif added that he fully expects the 2022 U-20 World Junior Championship and Women’s U-18 Tournament to both take place this summer after being canceled in December. Tardif believes the Women’s Championship will take place in the U.S. in June, while the WJC returns to Canada in August. Notably, this would put the tournament after the NHL Draft, removing it as an option for any last-minute scouting, though still an invaluable tool for prospect evaluation.

Gary Bettman: Olympic Participation “Ultimately A Players’ Decision”

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The NHL has more than a few concerns about participating in the upcoming Winter Olympics in Beijing, China. Speaking with the media, including CBC’s Joshua Clipperton, following the conclusion of Friday’s Board of Governors meeting, Commissioner Gary Bettman didn’t shy away from expressing his hesitations either:

We have real concerns on a whole host of issues… We have concerns, and we’ve expressed those to the players’ association… Our concerns have only been magnified… I actually find it difficult to believe that a player would want to go…. I don’t think that this is going to be the ideal Olympic experience in terms of the lockdowns in the Olympic Village and everything else that’s going on.

The league’s apprehension is based mostly on the continued issues with the spread of the Coronavirus, not only across the league but on a global basis, China included. The NHL has seen the majority of its teams impacted by COVID-19 already this season, including at the cost of some games. Olympic participation would mean sending its biggest stars off, out of the protection of the league’s protocols and to the origin point of the virus and to protocols that have yet to be finalized and announced. In that same vein, Bettman discussed the possibility that China could mandate a three-week quarantine for any athletes who test positive for COVID and stated that he would be surprised if any NHLer would risk an additional three weeks in the country in order to play at the Olympics. Beyond the COVID conversation, there are also a number of political red flags as the governments of both Canada and the United States have become more vocal of late about the human rights violations taking place in China.

Yet, with all that said, Bettman is standing by his word. Barring a joint decision between the NHL and NHLPA – with Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly stating his expectation that the two sides would be on the same page should it reach this point – to disallow participation, the final decision will lie with the players themselves:

We made a promise to the players, and I’m going, to the best of our ability, adhere to it, understanding that there may be consequences that nobody’s gonna like… It’s not like we haven’t expressed our concerns. But in the final analysis, subject to some caveats, with all of the issues that are being raised… the players, for the most part, seem to continue to be saying they want to go… ultimately, this is going to have to be a players’ decision.

A return to the Olympics was in fact collectively bargained when the NHL and NHLPA agreed to a new CBA last year. The players have right to compete for gold if they so choose, though it is obvious that the league would rather they not. Bettman does note that more players have expressed their concerns of late, but will it be enough? That remains to be seen with time ticking away before the opt-out deadline of January 10 and the opening of the tournament in two months.

NHL Updates Salary Cap Projections

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NHL commissioner Gary Bettman and deputy commissioner Bill Daly held media availability today from the board of governors meeting and updated several important issues. While noting that it will be an NHLPA decision on whether or not to participate in the Olympics, and reassuring that there is no issue with the Arizona Coyotes, perhaps the firmest news that Bettman could share was that of salary cap projections moving forward.

After announcing that hockey-related revenues will reach close to $5.2B for this season, the league will indeed increase the salary cap for next season by $1MM. That means an $82.5MM cap ceiling, the same number that was projected several months ago by Daily Faceoff.

Importantly though, Bettman explained that it will not take quite as long for the players to repay the escrow debt as originally expected. The league should be made whole at the end of the 2024-25 season, meaning a substantial salary cap increase could follow that summer. That’s a year earlier than many projections showed months ago, and speaks to just how well the revenues of the league have rebounded this season.

At the start of the year, the players owed more than $1B in escrow debt to the owners, and instead of all at once, have agreed to a slower repayment schedule. The escrow rate dropped this year from around 20 percent to 17 and is expected to drop to around 10 for the 2022-23 season.

For the teams that are in salary cap trouble at the moment, still trying to negotiate a ceiling that hasn’t moved in the last couple of years, a $1MM increase isn’t going to help very much. But the expectation of it spiking in 2025-26 is good news, especially for those that are trending toward a competitive window at that point.

Snapshots: COVID Protocols, Rangers, Kane

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Even with over 99% percent of players and 100% of staff being vaccinated against the Coronavirus, the NHL has still been faced with constant issues battling COVID-19 this season. While only two teams have had games postponed due to COVID outbreaks, 19 different teams have had to enter heightened COVID protocols at some this season. As a result, the league is contemplating stricter protocols for all teams if the virus continues to be a problem. Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly tells TSN’s Chris Johnston that the NHL is currently working with league doctors to evaluate their COVID numbers and current protocols to see if changes can improve the state of the league’s battle with COVID. The NHL then plans to meet with the NHLPA soon to share their findings and to discuss options to better protect players and staff, as well as the league product. The COVID conversation will also impact the Olympic question, with understandable concerns from the league and players’ association about sending their stars to China given the ongoing spread of virus despite vaccination measures. The deadline for the NHL to pull out of the Winter Games in Beijing is January 10, so the upcoming meeting with the NHLPA could be a critical juncture for a decision.

  • Despite the havoc that the Coronavirus has wreaked on the past two NHL seasons (and counting), team valuations have somehow not just held strong, but in fact increased. Forbes published their 2021 NHL team values today with the impressive headline that the New York Rangers have become the league’s first $2 billion team. The Original Six franchise in the biggest market in North America increased in value by 21% from 2020 without making and significant improvement in their on-ice product. It bodes well for another potential jump next year, with the Rangers currently holding the best record in the Metropolitan Division. Unsurprisingly, New York is followed by fellow Original Six members in the Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, Chicago Blackhawks, and Boston Bruins. Yet, it is not just the storied franchises who continue see growth in their value. On average, each team improved in value by 32% this year following a 2% dip the year before. The factors contributing to these soaring numbers are the league’s new media contract, their many new facilities, and of course the addition of their newest team, the Seattle Kraken. The recent sale of the Pittsburgh Penguins for $900 million also provided Forbes’ Mike Ozanian with a very up-to-date benchmark of actual real world value of a top franchise. While the optics of the past couple seasons – canceled games, limited attendance, temporary realignment – may portray a struggling league, the NHL has actually excelled in the face of adversity in their battle with COVID-19.
  • One player who is likely more familiar with financial terms that he ever hoped is San Jose Sharks forward Evander Kane. The controversial star has had quite the year with bankruptcy proceedings, a league investigation into illegal gambling, a league suspension for COVID Protocol circumvention and more. Kane has seemingly been losing money at every turn. However, he is now off his suspension and – though reassigned to the AHL – ready to get back on the ice and earning his pay check. Well, maybe not so fast. Curtis Pashelka of the San Jose Mercury News writes that the organization is not yet ready to give Kane any game action, even with minor league Barracuda. Pashelka writes that concerns about his conditioning, having missed training camp and the first quarter of the season, have limited Kane in practice and will keep him from competiting again this weekend. Pashelka also mentions an undisclosed injury and quotes Kane as being on board with a slow approach to returning to play. However, the scribe also touches on what is likely the root cause of Kane’s inaction: trade value. It does not appear as if Kane is welcome back in the Sharks’ locker room, but with three years remaining on a hefty contract, he needs to play somewhere. The consistent scoring forward is an established asset: high-end ability on the ice, red flags off the ice. San Jose is working the phones to find a new fit for Kane and won’t gain any leverage by having play in AHL game. However, they could lose out if he is injured. As a result, Kane could be used sparingly until he is eventually dealt elsewhere.

Government Of Quebec Talks With NHL About Potential Nordiques Return

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On this week’s edition of Sportsnet’s 32 Thoughts intermission segment, Jeff Marek reported “public musings” from Quebec premier Francois Legault about the revival of the Quebec Nordiques, who played their last NHL season in 1994-95 before relocating to Denver as the Colorado Avalanche.

It continues what’s been a long-running push to bring NHL hockey back to Quebec City, but at virtually every point, the NHL has remained uninterested. While it’s unknown if their stance as changed, Legault has said publicly this week that the Quebec government plans to meet with commissioner Gary Bettman.

It’s strong messaging from Legault, who Marek reports went on to say that the government of Quebec would be willing to invest their capital in a project that would see the Nordiques return to Quebec. Marek notes that this project would be a consortium — rather, not a single investor or group that would be financially responsible for funding the team.

In terms of recent history, it seems unprecedented that a provincial government would provide significant financial backing for a professional sports team.

Marek reports that NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly confirms that he’s spoken over the phone with Legault, and while Daly admits dialogue may continue, he says “[the league] is obviously pleased with what we have right now.”

It’s worth noting that Quebec City does have a suitable venue in place. The Videotron Centre, which opened in September 2015, has a capacity of 18,259 for ice hockey. That’s greater capacity than highly regarded NHL arenas such as Madison Square Garden, the fresh-off-the-press UBS Arena, T-Mobile Arena, and TD Garden.

Snapshots: Senators, Cernak, Greenway

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The NHL currently has no plans to postpone and reschedule any of Ottawa’s games in the midst of their COVID outbreak, reports Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch.  Josh Brown became the sixth Senators player to be sidelined along with associate coach Jack Capuano which was enough to lead some to believe that yesterday’s game against Boston could be postponed.  However, they were able to get enough reinforcements to ice a full lineup for that contest.  Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly indicated that the league is “monitoring the situation” but that they would prefer to not have to reschedule games if possible.  The Sens begin a stint of three games in four days on Thursday so this situation will be one to monitor if more players have to be quarantined.

Elsewhere around the hockey world:

  • Lightning defenseman Erik Cernak will miss at least a few games due to an upper-body injury sustained on Tuesday, head coach Jon Cooper told Eduardo A. Encina of the Tampa Bay Times. The 24-year-old logs over 20 minutes a game on Tampa Bay’s back end including the second-most penalty kill time among their defenders so his absence will be a tough one to fill.  They will get Mikhail Sergachev back from suspension on Saturday but Jan Rutta and Cal Foote will also be called upon to play more minutes.
  • The Wild have activated winger Jordan Greenway from IR and will have him in their lineup tonight against Arizona, relays Sarah McLellan of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune. The 24-year-old suffered a high ankle sprain two weeks ago versus Seattle and missed the last four games.  It’s a contract year for Greenway who will be a restricted free agent with arbitration eligibility this summer so not missing extended time will certainly help his cause.  He has two assists in seven games this season after recording 32 points in 56 contests in 2020-21.

Central Notes: Girard, Forsberg, Blues

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Colorado has assembled an impressive back end, a group that has been bolstered by the return of Erik Johnson and the emergence of sophomore Bowen Byram.  The 20-year-old has been strong enough this season that Mike Chambers of the Denver Post suggests that blueliner Samuel Girard could plausibly be made available if the Avalanche decide to try to add to their forward group between now and the trade deadline.  Girard is signed through 2026-27 with a $5MM AAV, a reasonable price for someone that consistently logs over 20 minutes per game while chipping in a little offensively as well.  If the Avs were to make the 23-year-old available, he’d garner plenty of interest around the league.

More from the Central Division:

  • J.P. Barry, the agent for Predators winger Filip Forsberg, confirmed to Adam Vingan of The Athletic (subscription link) that there still have been no discussions on a possible contract extension with the veteran in the final year of his deal. While Forsberg has indicated a willingness to merely play the year out and see what happens after the season, Barry added that he does expect to have those contract talks at some point during the regular season.  The 27-year-old is likely eyeing a raise on his current $6MM AAV but is currently out with an upper-body injury.
  • While the Blues were hoping for some cap relief in their current COVID situation, Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly told Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that they won’t be receiving any: “There is not currently an intention to provide cap relief for Covid-related reasons. No different than having to deal with multiple short-term injuries. St. Louis is not at all unique in having to navigate these waters.” St. Louis has had six different players enter the protocols in recent days and while they’ve managed to carry a minimum-sized roster, any other addition or injury will place them in a situation where they’ll have to play short a player for a game before becoming eligible for a cap-exempt recall.

League Notes: Salary Cap, Kane, Vaccine Status

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During the league’s media tour today, deputy commissioner Bill Daly spoke with several outlets including Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman to answer questions and discuss several topics related to the upcoming season. One that doesn’t have a direct impact on this year’s campaign however is the expected $1MM rise in the salary cap ceiling for 2022-23, which Daly confirmed today. Though it isn’t official until revenue figures come through, this is what Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff reported at the beginning of August when he examined the current revenue projections.

That increase shouldn’t come as a sign everything is back to normal though. Seravalli’s report indicated that the cap ceiling would not see a significant increase until 2026-27, given the huge escrow debt the players have to pay off. While a $1MM increase gives teams a little bit of wiggle room, they are still in a relatively flat cap situation for the next few years.

  • Daly also told Friedman that the investigation into allegations that Evander Kane gambled on NHL games is still expected to conclude before training camp opens later this month. Though he explains that a report will come out, it’s still unclear whether it will be entirely available to the public. The league opened an investigation into Kane after his estranged wife, Anna Kane, posted accusations on social media claiming that the San Jose Sharks forward bet on games he was involved in; he denied those claims.
  • Speaking with Seravalli, Daly explained that the league currently projects 98% of their players will be fully vaccinated by the start of the season. The deputy commissioner expects just 10-15 total players will be unvaccinated, though that obviously depends on final roster cuts. Those players will be subject to stricter protocols this season, and could face withheld pay for games missed due to COVID-19.

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