Did you think this was finally that part of summer where you could relax and just wait for training camp to start?
Guess again bitches. We’ve already heard that people like Burke are concerned about the idea of long-term contracts but now we’ve got this.
The NHL is going to look into if the Blackhawks discussed retirement with Hossa, which would negate his cap hit. If they did, I guess it’s against the collective bargaining agreement and could cost the Hawks $5 Million and draft picks. This post-season is just one douche chill after another, isn’t it?
Here’s the money quote from NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly:
“We’re trying to understand how it was negotiated and whether the intent and effect is to circumvent the cap,” wrote Daly.
Well of course the deal was structured to circumvent the cap… that was the whole goddamn point. Similar deals were given to Henrik Zetterberg and Johan Franzen. So why is the Hossa deal so much different? Well two things really.
- Hossa is older than either of those players, if only by a couple years. But his deal does take him well into the time when most players have retired.
The Hawks may have gone a bit overboard in the last few years of the deal.
Zetterberg gets $7+ Million for 9 of his 12 year deals, then he gets $3.35M, $1M and $1M.
Likewise Franzen gets $5+ Million for 7 years then $3.5M, $2M, $1M and $1M.
Hossa on the other hand $7+ Million for 7 years followed by $4M, two years of $1M ending with two years of $750,000. So while the deal is similar to the deals the Hawks were trying to imitate, it takes it to a new level.
If the NHL is looking to end these long-term contracts it seems like they may try to make an example out of the Blackhawks, which is obviously annoying as fuck. How easy will it be to prove that the Hawks discussed retirement? I’m guessing damn near impossible but at this point nothing is going to surprise me.
Can we please just quit all this and start the season tomorrow?
UPDATE: It apears the Blackhawks aren’t alone in this. Craig Custance is reporting the NHL is also looking into the deal the Flyers gave to Captain Elbows himself, Chris Pronger. At least this makes it seem that the NHL is looking into all of these types of deals, not just the Blackhawks.