As the expiring NHL CBA still seems to on the back of everyone’s mind as we trek through free agency, this past Friday the League has submitted the following proposal to the Players Association.
1) Reduce players’ hockey related revenues from 57 percent to 46 percent
2) Require 10 seasons in the NHL before unrestricted free agency applies (regardless of age)
3) All contracts to be limited to five years (there’s no limit at the moment)
4) No more salary arbitration
5) Entry-level contracts to be bumped from three to five years
But that’s not all.
According to Larry Brooks of the New York Post, the board of governors also want signing bonuses and uneven annual salaries eradicated. Essentially what this means is that a five-year, $25 million dollar deal would pay out $5 million dollars each and every year.
These proposals are all despite the NHL accumulating a record $3.2 billion in revenue for last season.
With these proposals in mind, things aren’t looking too optimistic off-hand but things of course could change going forward. Not to mention another lockout within a 10 year period could be devastating for the League, especially in the United States.
