NHL Hockey Is Back

 

After 113 days, the NHL & NHLPA have agreed to a new CBA. No schedule has been released. Also, we do not know when the season will start just yet.

 Here are some of the details:

 

- The players' share of hockey-related revenue will drop from 57 percent to a 50-50 split for all 10 years. 

- The league coming off their demand for a $60 million cap in Year 2, meeting the NHLPA's request to have it at $64.3 million - which was the upper limit from last year's cap. The salary floor in Year 2 will be $44 million.

- The upper limit on the salary cap in the first year is $60 million, but teams can spend up to $70.2 million (all pro-rated). The cap floor will be $44 million.

- The 10-year deal also has an opt-out clause that kicks in after eight years.

- Each team will be allowed two amnesty buyouts that can be used to terminate contracts after this season and next season. The buyouts will count against the players' overall share in revenues, but not the team's salary cap.

- The salary variance on contracts from year to year cannot vary more than 35 per cent and the final year cannot vary more than 50 per cent of the highest year.

- A player contract term limit for free agents will be seven years and eight years for a team signing its own player.

- The draft lottery selection process will change with all 14 teams fully eligible for the first overall pick. The weighting system for each team may remain, but four-spot move restriction will be eliminated.

- Supplemental discipline for players in on-ice incidents will go through NHL disciplinarian Brendan Shanahan first, followed by an appeal process that would go through Bettman. For suspensions of six or more games, a neutral third party will decide if necessary.

- Revenue sharing among teams will spread to $200 million. Additionally, an NHLPA-initiated growth fund of $60 million is included.

- Teams can only walk away from a player in salary arbitration if the award is at least $3.5 million.

 

More details will emerge in the coming days. As for the Flames, they do not seem to have any cap issues at the moment. However, it will be interesting to see if the Flames use one of the buyouts at the season’s end.

I hope the fans are ready!

GO FLAMES GO