Bettman and his bean counters

Last year, when the new CBA was freshly signed, the NHL missed out on a great opportunity to educate the fans on how the cap works. It’s been over a year now, and still nothing from Bettman and his bean counters on who counts and who does not.

I think there is alot of misinformation on how the accounting is done on how the cap counts for all clubs are explained. You read some columns from one beat reporter from one city and he or she says that long term injuries will not count and in an another city, an another reporter will say that for the same kind of injury it counts. You give NHL headquarters in New York a call, to fish out some information, they will probably tell you, read the CBA. It’s all fine and dandy to do so, but if your not a labour lawyer and don’t understand the language in it, your guess on the interpretation is as good as mine. I see it a bit like Spector said some time ago in one of his Soapbox articles, Thank you suckers and not Thank you fans, as written on every rink in NHL cities. Pay 100$ for a seat, eat hot dogs, pop corn, and drink 10$ glasses of beer and we will take care of the business side of hockey. Oh Mr.Bettman that is how it works.

Will all do respect, Mr.Bettman, we the fans know more and want to no more about all aspects of the game, on and off the ice than you could possibly think. Sir, we saw how you took care of the business side of hockey, since you have been commissioner, we have had two work stoppages caused by over inflation of salaries. Yes you brought in a spending limit and made it work, well at least for now it does. Every club as you like to put it, has been able to afford a top class player, where under the old CBA it was not possible. I know and many others that may read this will also know, that you don’t trust the owners, and with good reason, it is well stated in the CBA signed on July 22nd, 2005. I have read the part of that same document, and from what i have understood, you are making every salary and bonus acccountable, which is good. Example, article 50.10 (d), I have read it a few times to make sure that i understood it well, this including the illustrations. From what i have read, what is said, is that if a club is at 43.5 million and has an made exemption application for a player that could possibly be out for the season, and that so called unfit player is making 4.1 million, that club can go over the cap by 3.6 million. The so called club is at 43.5, goes to the upper limit of 44 million and goes over by no more than 3.6, that club the following season will not be penalized because of the bona fided exemption clause, as long as an application was made for it, or else the club will be penalized the following season.

In Spector’s latest Soapbox, on request from a reader, he responded that cap space would be freed up. In a way yes, if you read what i wrote above, the freed up cap space would only occur next season, a club that went over the cap because of a bona fided long term injury exemption application made, the 3.6 million that the Bruins will be going over the cap this season because of Zhamnov’s injury replacements, they will not be penalized in dead cap space next season. That being said, here comes the sticky part, if i am not mistaken, the Bruins signed him to a three year contract and he was 35 at the time he signed it, if he were to retire next summer, the Bruins will have his salary count on the books for 2007-08.
As for Keith Primeau’s situation, the reason why the Flyers will be able to take his salary off the books for next season, is that he signed his contract prior to the new CBA and he was not 35 + when he signed it, so my understanding is that the NHL will use the same grandfather clause as in the Jagr situation, that the part of Jagr’s salary paid by the Capitals did not count against their cap count, the Rangers where on the books for their share.

So to conclude, Bettman and his bean counters are counting almost everything under the sky. The only time a player’s salary will no count from what i have understood, if he is assigned to the AHL and not on re-conditionning assignement, he is suspended by the league or club and not receiving his salary during that period. Otherwise everything counts. There is a good reason for this, the players revenu sharing. I will read more about this and get back to you. To explain all of this, it’s easy. You have an hour for lunch, no problem there, but when do you start the count ? It’s 11.55 am and you tell your boss, ‘’ i’m off to lunch’’ well the count starts at 11.55am and not when you sit down and take your first bite in that big juicy big mac, so that means that at 12.55 you better be back at your position and ready to start work and not at 1.05. You can try and cheat, just don’t get caught, Bettman is not giving the clubs that chance.

This is just is my understanding on how the cap works and it’s accountability. I may be wrong, but i don’t think so.

That’s for now folks !