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Re: 2010-2011 NHL Season
The NHL has rejected Ilya Kovalchuk's 17-year, $102 million contract with the New Jersey Devils on the grounds that it circumvents the NHL's salary cap.
The announcement was made just hours after a smiling Kovalchuk had been introduced by the Devils at a press conference.
Kovalchuk was slated to earn $95 million over the first 10 years of the deal and then just $7 million over the last seven seasons. That would translate to an annual cap hit of $6 million per year.
TSN Insider Darren Dreger explains that the deal was rejected due to the fact that the NHL does not believe that either Kovalchuk nor the Devils expected the 2004 Rocket Richard trophy winner would be playing near end of the contract and that it is a case of artificially lowering the annual average value of the contract. The Devils must now either file the contract once again or the Players' Association can file a grievance.
Should the NHLPA decide to file a grievance, the contract would remain dead until an arbitrator determines otherwise.
While the NHL has investigated front loaded contracts in the past, most notably Chris Pronger's $34.9 million contract spread over seven years and the deal that Marian Hossa signed with the Chicago Blackhawks for $62.8 million over 12 years, all were eventually allowed as it proved too difficult to prove that they were not negotiated in good faith.
The current collective bargaining agreement states that a player who signs a contract before the age of 35 can retire and have his contract come off a team's salary cap; however, teams must negotiate the contract in question in a good faith effort to have the player remain in the league for the duration of the contract.
The current CBA explains circumvention as the following in section 26.3:
(a) No Club or Club Actor, directly or indirectly, may: (i) enter into any agreements, promises, undertakings, representations, commitments, inducements, assurances of intent, or understandings of any kind, whether express, implied, oral or written, including without limitation, any SPC, Qualifying Offer, Offer Sheet or other transaction, or (ii) take or fail to take any action whatsoever, if either (i) or (ii) is intended to or has the effect of defeating or Circumventing the provisions of this Agreement or the intention of the parties as reflected by the provisions of this Agreement, including without limitation, provisions with respect to the financial and other reporting obligations of the Clubs and the League, Team Payroll Range, Player Compensation Cost Redistribution System, the Entry Level System and/or Free Agency.
Should the deal have been approved, the 17-year pact would have been the longest contract in NHL history, topping the 15-year deal that the New York Islanders handed goaltender Rick DiPietro and the 13-year offer agreed to by two-time Hart Trophy winner Alexander Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals. The contract was to include a no-movement clause for the first seven seasons and a no-trade clause for the last nine.
The 27-year-old rejected a $101 million, 12-year extension from the Atlanta Thrashers before being dealt to the Devils in February. He also reportedly rejected offers from the Los Angeles Kings and SKA St. Petersburg of the KHL.
Kovalchuk had 41 goals and 44 assists last season, including 10 goals and 17 assists with the Devils.
Re: 2010-2011 NHL Season
DALLAS - Since he couldn't stay in Dallas and wasn't ready for retirement, Mike Modano made the logical choice: He's going home.
The native of suburban Detroit has agreed to a one-year deal with the Red Wings. He confirmed his decision in a text message to The Associated Press on Tuesday.
The 40-year-old forward played 20 seasons for the Minnesota-Dallas franchise and is the leading scorer among U.S.-born players in NHL history. The Stars made the tough decision not to re-sign him in late June, and he's spent the last five weeks trying to figure out his next move.
The answer came while playing golf in Scotland with former Dallas teammate Marty Turco, the goaltender who signed with Chicago on Monday.
"It was a lot of back and forth internally, but I ultimately decided I wasn't ready to hang up the skates so I'm going to Detroit," Modano told ScoreBoard Monthly, the Dallas sports magazine that first reported the move.
Modano said he spoke with Minnesota and San Jose, but was swayed by discussions with Brett Hull and other former and current Red Wings.
"They all told me what a great organization and city it is to play in," he said. "And mix in the incredible talent they have playing there and it kind of made my decision for me."
The calibre of the team helped, too. Having won a Stanley Cup in Dallas and been to two other Stanley Cup finals, he "definitely wanted the chance to make a serious run at it."
As for his role, Modano said: "Just in casual conversation so far, maybe third line and some power play. They have so many talented players and I'm willing to play wherever they need me to."
Modano grew up in Livonia, Mich. He said his parents are excited to get to see him play more often.
The fans he's leaving behind will get a chance to see him in red real soon. Dallas' home opener is Oct. 14 against the Red Wings.
"I'm sure I'll have plenty of different emotions going through me as we get closer to the day," he said.
His jersey number will also be changing.
Modano always has worn No. 9, but it's retired by Detroit in honour of Gordie Howe.
"I haven't decided yet," he said. "I've got a few ideas in mind though."
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and the dismantling of the cup champs continues ... Niemi wins arbitration ... but the hawks decline to sign him ... instead signing veteran Marty Turco for 1/2 the price
- Communist China
- Rep: 130
Re: 2010-2011 NHL Season
Yeah Chicago lost a lot this offseason. I don't think Modano is a big story at this point in his career, but you never know.
Arbitration's a bitch. Sabres are going to lose Tim Kennedy (hometown kid) because of that decision.
Re: 2010-2011 NHL Season
With a series of new ideas for rules and an altered ice surface, the NHL's research and development camp is all about test-driving some novel ways to change the game.
The stands are full of veteran coaches, general managers and executives watching closely as some new rules are tested during four on-ice sessions at the Toronto Maple Leafs practice facility on Wednesday and Thursday.
The 33 top-rated junior players are on the ice, lead by veteran coaches Ken Hitchcock and Dave King, trying out a series of new rules that have been submitted by people closely involved in the league. Some ideas are small tweaks to existing rules, and some are radical changes.
These are the many rule changes that are being examined during the camp. Here are several of the key ones:
- Having three faceoff dots, one in each zone, down the centre of the rink.
- Using a variation of the faceoff, where a whistle starts play rather than the traditional puck drop.
- If a player is deemed to have committed a face-off violation, he will be required to move back and keep his skates behind a "penalty line" (1' foot further back) to take the faceoff
- Trying both no-touch icing and a hybrid icing rule, where referees can blow the play dead prior to the defending player touching the puck.
- Having the second referee located off the playing surface.
- Not allowing a team to change lines after it commits an offside.
- In overtime, having three minutes of 4 on 4, followed by three minutes of 3 on 3 and finally three minutes of 2 on 2
- Having five players from each team participate in the shoot Out and they shall proceed in such order as the coach selects. If it's tied at the end of the shootout, it goes to sudden death shooting and no one shall shoot twice until all eligible shooters have shot
- Narrowing the shallowness of the net by four inches to create more ice behind the net and enable more wrap-around attempts
- Increasing the size of the crease proportionally in all directions by 3 inches
Re: 2010-2011 NHL Season
leafs looked pretty good thursday night against the habs...and again pretty impressive tonight in the first against the sens
Meh. Leafs didn´t look that great against a Habs team missing Cammy, Markov and Hamerlick. JSG played great and that´s pretty much how it went. Í´ll give the Leafs this though they got some guys with serious jam on their team this year. I can´t comment on the Sens game though cause the only way I´ll watch the Leafs is if they´re playing the Habs 
Habs beat the Penguins last night.... again. Some things just never change 
- Communist China
- Rep: 130
Re: 2010-2011 NHL Season
Pominville had to be taken off on a stretcher after a vicious and illegal hit last night, then the Sabres fail to make anything happen with a 5 minute powerplay. Special teams is suspect and the D is giving up way too many turnovers through the first few games. Hopefully as the season moves along they'll tighten up play but giving up goals like we have so far is pretty atypical for Ruff's Sabres teams, even in the bad years.
Still, I like the team this year.
Ovi won another game in OT last night too, big surprise there.
Re: 2010-2011 NHL Season
here's my fantasy hockey team...i think its pretty decent, its a rotisserie league
C Pavel Datsyuk (Det - C,LW)
LW Simon Gagne (TB - LW)
RW Danny Briere (Phi - RW)
F Andrew Brunette (Min - LW)
F Kris Versteeg (Tor - LW)
F Rene Bourque (Cgy - RW)
D Niklas Kronwall (Det - D)
D Marek Zidlicky (Min - D)
D Michael Del Zotto (NYR - D)
D Mike Green (Was - D) DTD
Util Steve Ott (Dal - C)
-------------------------------------
BN Dustin Byfuglien (Atl - RW,D)
BN Andrei Markov (Mon - D) IR
IR Marc Savard (Bos - C) IR
------------------------------------
G Craig Anderson (Col - G)
G Tomas Vokoun (Fla - G)
BN Jean-Sebastien Giguere (Tor - G)
