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In these days in Sea Island (Georgia), the annual meeting of the NHL Board of Governors is taking place. Several topics are on the agenda for the near future: from the new salary cap to the entrance to Seattle.
Tuesday 4 December 2018 5 minutes reading time
SALARY CAP
The first good news for the GM is that Gary Bettman has announced for the next season a significant increase in the salary cap, of about 3.5 million dollars, bringing the cap to $ 83M.Dubas and other general managers that the year next they will have to sign important renewals, they can breathe a little sigh of relief. The news is positive also for Lega itself, as the increase in salary cap is a direct consequence of the constant increase in the income of the NHL "product". Over 25% growth over the last 6 years ($ 64.3M was the ceiling in 2013).
EXPANSION TO SEATTLE
The theme of the expansion of the NHL in Seattle will be dealt with in a few hours with the final vote. A majority of ¾ members of the Board of Governors will be required. If it is accepted as the 32nd franchise, Seattle Hockey Partners, owner of the new team, will have to pay a commission of $ 650M (30% higher than the sum paid by Las Vegas in 2016). If there is great optimism about the admission of Seattle, negative entries instead come about the date of entry of the new team of the State of Washington, likely to slip to the 2021/2022 season. The Key Arena, in fact, will not be ready before November 2020. Another confirmation has come about the redistribution of the teams: Seattle will join the Pacific Division, while Arizona will move into the Central.
THE POINT ON THE NEW ARENA OF OTTAWA
Absent one of the most anticipated faces, Eugene Melnyk. Its Ottawa Senators are in fact on the Board of Governors' agenda regarding the failure of the project for a new Arena in downtown Ottawa, at LeBreton Flats. At the meeting it was acknowledged that the building plan on which Melnyk works from 2013 is now shipwrecked due to the conduct of the partner Trinity Development Group, accused of conflict of interest, and against which Melnyk has initiated legal action to obtain compensation of over $ 700M.According to the owner of the Sens, while working for obtaining the necessary approvals for the beginning of the work, Trinity Development Group would have carried out a parallel and incompatible building project with respect to that of the new arena. A new plant in Ottawa is considered a top priority and the idea of ​​building it in the city center was one of the primary objectives of both Melnyk and the NHL itself. In any case, according to Bettman's words, the Sens owner does not exclude a restructuring of the Canadian Tire Center, even if it appears to be a simple solution.
A NEW FORMAT FOR PLAYOFF?
Although not on the agenda, as reported, some members of the Board seem to be raising again the theme of a new playoff format that involves the participation of a larger number of teams. Bettman, on the point, has already expressed a firm refusal, but the proponents have in mind a model that, on the one hand would not extend the current duration of the playoffs, and on the other, by virtue of a greater number of teams, would allow to limit travel transfers and related costs.
We'll see.
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