Tuesday, August 31, 2010

Kovalchuck and ...Updated

We should know Friday, if the NHL has accepted or rejected the latest contract submitted to the league. according to northjersey.com,
''there were indications that the NHL officials did make a decision on Monday and that the verdict would likely be officially communicated to the team on Tuesday''

It's believed that the contract submitted to the league is a $100 million dollar contract with a 15 year duration.The Devils would be on the hook for a 6.67 million cap hit for the lenght of the contract.In the contract that was rejected last month,it was heavily front loaded and had throwaway years,where the salary was above the league's present minimum which raised eyebrows.

according to Nick Kypreos,the contract being reviewed by the league,it will pay Kovalchuck 90 million in the first ten years, and an average of 2.6 million in the following four seasons and 4 million in the final season.

If the league approves the contract,The Devils will have to move some salary to fit him under their cap.They have $56,441,666 in committed salary for the upcoming season.They will need shed at least 5 million by the end of training camp to become cap compliant for the beginning of the season.


Chelios retires
Future hall of fame defenseman,Chris Chelios has officially retired and will take on a front office job with the Detroit Red Wings.Other than his short journey in Atlanta,Chelios spend the majority of his career with three of the original six teams.Montreal,Chicago and Detroit.He was part of the last team legendary Scotty Bowman ever coached to a Stanley cup.

He started his legendary career in the mecca of hockey,Montreal.He joined the Canadiens after the 1984 winter olympics.The Habs had not had a good year and to give the team a boost,newly hired general manager and former member of the big three,Serge Savard, asked his buddy and former teammate,Jacques Lemaire to take over as coach,he did it reluctantly,as Lemaire knew how tough it was in Montreal with the omni present media.Through a team effort the Canadiens got to the conference finals,but lost the series 4-2 to the defending Stanley cup champions,New York Islanders.Two years later, the Canadiens won the 23rd cup of their history under the leadership of two future hall of famers,captain Bob Gainey and Larry Robinson, along with the strong play of rookie goaltender,Patrick Roy.

In the summer of 1990,Serge Savard traded Chelios to Chicago for hometown favorite Denis Savard, no relation to the gm.The bogus excuse given for trading Chelios,was a medical report saying his knees where in bad shape,which we can not true,as he lasted an another twenty years.The true reason he was traded, is that a few years earlier,Chelios got a bit rowdy and did his business in the middle of a Montreal street at 2 am in the morning.That did not sit well with then team President,Ronald Corey.I personally could really care less if had done that,as when he put on that Canadiens jersey,he wore it with pride,to me that is all that really counted.To this very day,I have never bought the bad knees theory.

Thank you, Chris !