Posts tagged “NHLPA”

Cap Increase Voted Through

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Update (4:57 PM): If the cap goes up over $59 million as Pierre Lebrun has been suggesting, maybe Lilja’s not out of play after all. – Matt

Red Wings Fan Hat

Great news:

NHLPA votes to keep 5 per cent growth factor in the salary cap. Expect a cap of $58.5- to $59-million to be announced by Friday.

The Wings need that space to finish their signings. So that’s great news for them as they’d be pretty well screwed otherwise.

Hockey fan/NHLPA Supporter Hat

That said, not sure this is so good for the PA. This isn’t the way to create unity between the top end players and the rest of the gang, as the guys at the bottom of the pack are going to take a hit due to escrow. That the Executive Board is ignoring that aspect of their constituency isn’t exactly encouraging for those of us who will side with the PA when CBA negotiations pick up. The NHL will bend the union over the barrel if the players aren’t united.

And I don’t like what this likely means for the agents’ role in the union. It’s time for the players to take control of their own fates and to stop letting those guys drive them.

Whatever further detail comes out on this is going to be interesting to watch.

Cap Story to Watch

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James Mirtle’s piece on Donald Fehr and the question of the 5% cap increase everyone assumes the players will approve is an important read. If you’re not sure why, here you go.

Talk about divided feelings. On the one hand, I want the Wings to be able to spend to the projected augmented cap because they need the space. On the other, I sympathize with the lesser players who are tired of handing over such large chunks of their salary to escrow. And, if Ovechkin’s comments are any indication, some bigger name players are starting to sympathize, too.

So a $58.8 million cap may not be a slam dunk.

Headshot Rule Moving Forward?

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Looks like the NHLPA may have found a way to wriggle out of the catch-22 the League had it in somewhat. They basically lose the perception of being obstructionist and also manage to save some face in relation to the NHL in negotiation standing.

That said, the League comes off looking like it graciously conceded to those rubes at the PA out of the goodness of its heart. +1 PR point for them, I guess.

New Guardians of Player Safety on Verge of Acting Alone

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Darren Dreger:

with or without NHLPA approval, the NHL may implement supplemental discipline tonight for blindside hits.

More here.

The NHL would like us to believe that their conversion to this new-found belief that headshots are bad is so complete that they’re willing to bypass their own processes to get even a poorly-worded and nebulous policy in place now.

But really it’s about making the PA look bad, even though the union’s, you know, apparently trying to work on something that might actually be more effective. Are they taking too long? Sure. They need to get their act together and get something out there ASAP, that’s for sure. But.

The League needing a rule as soon as possible is not an excuse for shotgunning it through and bypassing the CBA’s agreed-upon process.

Obviously, Dreger’s wording is “may,” but it wouldn’t be at all surprising if “may” becomes “will” today.