Kukla's Korner Hockey
The Gauntlet Has Been Thrown Down
by Paul on 07/25/10 at 10:41 AM ET
Comments (0)
from Larry Brooks of the NY Post,
First, know this about Gary Bettman and his capricious prosecution of circumvention against the Devils and Ilya Kovalchuk—it’s personal with the commissioner, the way it was personal when he and the Board of Governors canceled a season in order to get rid of Bob Goodenow.
It’s personal because Bettman had been telling NHL general managers for months to stop signing players to dramatically front-loaded lifetime contracts designed to massage the cap hit before New Jersey’s Lou Lamoriello, of all teams and of all people, simply defied the commissioner.
Bettman’s ill-advised quest to impose a one-size-fits-all cap onto 30 teams with varying needs and constituencies is in tatters. The Kovalchuk contract, which meets every legal standard outlined in the collective bargaining agreement, is merely the latest example of a powerful team acting creatively in order to keep as much of its personnel intact as possible.
added 9:14am, from Mark Everson of the NY Post,
The Devils might have five million reasons to worry about the Players Association’s expected filing for arbitration of Ilya Kovalchuk’s rejected contract.
A league source said the NHL is not threatening, but also not dismissing the possibility that the Devils might be liable for a fine of at least $1 million. The fine could go up to $5 million should an arbitrator finds that their $102 million, 17-year contract is indeed a circumvention of the collective bargaining agreement.
In addition, Kovalchuk himself conceivably could be liable to a fine between $250G and $1 million.
Filed in: NHL Teams, New Jersey Devils, NHL Talk, NHL Business of Hockey, NHLPA, | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: ilya+kovalchuk
Comments
Be the first to comment.
Add a Comment
Please limit embedded image or media size to 575 pixels wide.
Add your own avatar by joining Kukla's Korner, or logging in and uploading one in your member control panel.
Captchas bug you? Join KK or log in and you won't have to bother.
Most Recent Blog Posts
Video- Quite The Conversation Between Tortorella And A Linesman
Video- Rangers Win In OT To Force Game 5 In Boston
Video- Bad Goal Of The Night Candidate
Six Teams In Playoff Action Tonight
“Kane Comes To Play Every Night”
TiqIQ Ticket Preview: Senators vs. Penguins
Patrick Roy Returns To Denver As Head Coach
Diving Talk Heats Up In The LA/SJ Series
Video- Dalton Thrower Suspended For The Remaining Games Of The Memorial Cup
About Kukla's Korner Hockey
Paul Kukla founded Kukla’s Korner in 2005 and the site has since become the must-read site on the ‘net for all the latest happenings around the NHL.
From breaking news to in-depth stories around the league, KK Hockey is updated with fresh stories all day long and will bring you the latest news as quickly as possible.
Email Paul anytime at pk@kuklaskorner.com
