Report: NHL investigating Chicago Blackhawks' contract with Mar...

[olduffman]

This is BS Detroit can do it but don't let the HAWKS try it or we will make an example out of you.

Jealousy is such a ugly emotion the other GMs should take a look in the mirror GO HAWKS !!!!!!!!!

[tim from Canada]

Hells Last Inch wrote:

Wow. The NHL's logic is so seriously flawed and this is such a clear witch hunt that I don't even know where to begin. For example, how does one even begin to prove that someone "contemplated" something???

I really doubt they will do much other than punt it to the Rules discussion group. NHLPA, GM's and an agent"s rep for reccomendations

[fest8]

no proof

[Blackhawk Down]

To Rocket Man:

You are ignorant.

You're a moron to think Detroit has something to do with this. I think you're just jealous to see Detroit as a model franchise and the Hawks trying to become something they won't be: A Real Franchise.

Rocket Man...More like space cadet.

Rocket Man wrote:

Sounds like one of two things:
(1) the NHL is out to get the Blackhawks for firing Dale Talon or
(2) Dale Talon really screwed up and deserved to be fired.
I smell Detroit all over this one.

[John]

MikeC wrote:

<quoted text>
Of Course you smell Detroit, The wind is blowing in this direction.

and as we all know Detroit Sucks

[Nice work Brainiac]

Blackhawk Down wrote:

Hey MikeC,
I wouldn't say we're jealous of you that you got Hossa. Take away their winning ways? Take a look at his record in the finals, not too good.
Secondly, i'd love to see how you're gonna keep your core team together after this season. good luck signing, toews, kane and keith!
<quoted text>

Toews and Kane cannot be paid more in '10-'11 than their cap hits will be with the Blackhawks. Ain't that a bitch for all you lamo Detroitlet fans.

[Pete W]

Section 317 wrote:

I think the Hawks are getting picked on. The Zetterberg and Franzen contracts call from them to make just $1M over the last two years of their contracts which run through the 20/21 and 19/21 seasons, respectively:
http://www.nhlnumbers.com/overview.php...
I don't know who in the league started this investigation, but it seems the Hawks aren't the only team offering front loaded contracts to effectively circumvent the cap.
With the Cap around $53M, the Blackhawks are likely to have money to burn. Let's do some simple math. The average REGULAR SEASON Blackhawk ticket ran $52 last year. If you take into account the increase for the playoffs, then a conservative estimate of the average ticket price for the entire season including the playoffs would be around $60. The Hawks broke the one million mark in attendance for the 1st time in their history. So, the Hawks have their player salaries more than coverred in just ticket sales alone. Throw in concessions and parking, and the Hawks have extra cash to spend every year...as long as the sellouts/success continues.
Here's my source for the league average regular season prices. It shows the prices of typical concessions as well::::
http://www.nhlnumbers.com/overview.php...

Your forgetting front office salaries, overhead on the UC, travel costs for the team, Marketing/Promotional costs, taxes ....etc

[David]

good point, this is ridiculous. And don't we all try to find legal ways to get around the law so we don't have to pay more?

Redeye wrote:

Don't know what they're crying about. Sounds like a contract that recognizes that players skills deteriorate as their years pile up.

[Loyd Petett]

Get rid of some of the teams, too!

"a shot and a goal"

Coach Killer wrote:

The salary cap really needs to go away. That's the only way to stop the silliness.
The reasoning behind the cap seems to make sense....protect the owners from themselves, keep salaries down which should make everyone profitable, and help protect poorly run teams by not allowing the best players to constantly migrate to the big market successful clubs which in turn keeps the poorly run teams bad.
But the system is not working as it was designed. Teams sign the obviously best players (Malkin, Crosby, Ovechkin) to 7-8 year deals so those guys will never end up in Phoenix or Atlanta no matter what happens. The guys that weren't obviously great players take less money to stay with the elite teams because who wants to play in Nashville or Florida where they'll never win anything?? To top it off, even with the salary cap the list of bankrupt or near bankrupt teams (Phoenix, Atlanta, Nashville, Tampa, Florida, etc.) is the same as it would have been without a cap.
It will be interesting to see if the cap disappears with the next bargaining agreement.

[Tim - Hockey Rules]

Blackhawk Down wrote:

Hey MikeC,
I wouldn't say we're jealous of you that you got Hossa. Take away their winning ways? Take a look at his record in the finals, not too good.
Secondly, i'd love to see how you're gonna keep your core team together after this season. good luck signing, toews, kane and keith!
<quoted text>

With the CAP there is no doubt that there are going to be some players traded to free up some cap space. With that they will resign Kane, Toews and Keith. There is no way the Hawks are letting any of them leave. My question to you is if you are a Wings fan as you appear to be why are you writing on a Hawks story?? And by admission of the Wings GM Hossa had the torn rotater cuff last year and it got hurt even worst in the playoffs. That is why he dodn't play too well in the finals. He was a very good player for the Wings last year.

[Pete W]

I'm not math genious here, but wouldn't making the cap hit equal to what a player earns in a given year alievate this problem?

Right now the cap hit is the total deal value/number of contract years. So essentially at the beginning the hawks are saving on the cap hit as Hossa is being paid $7 million and the cap hit is $5 million. The difference is then maid up at the end of the contract when say his salary is $4M,$3M, etc.. but the cap hit remains $5M. Obviously if he retires before his salary drops to the cap hit the organization wins.

If the cap hit were equal to his salary for the life of the contract, there would obviously be no effect on the cap, or the Hawks would have already paid for it all.

[Keith_Chicago]

It does not looking good for the Blackhawks singed Hossa then he is not going to be able to play for months meaning lets hope they are strong enough to make it to the playoffs this time. hummmmm the francise should of been grabbing Dany Heatley instead that was my wish.

GO HAWKS! with or without Hossa.

[Blackhawk Down]

Steve Rosenbloom is a genius! The Laughhawks! And this is coming from your own writer!

The only smart sports person in the city!

DETROIT RED WINGS 2010 STANLEY CUP CHAMPS!

[Section 317]

Pete W wrote:

<quoted text>
Your forgetting front office salaries, overhead on the UC, travel costs for the team, Marketing/Promotional costs, taxes ....etc

You're point's well taken, but I was speaking of rough numbers. To counterpoint, add in what an average fan spends in addition to the ticket price and parking and I would say the Hawks are pretty deep in black ink on the balance sheet. Given their attendance and the fact that their ticket prices are above the league average, I'd say they're doing pretty well. If not...then it follows that a lot of teams in the league would be in red ink. Makes sense...right??

[Jeff]

This does seam like a 'Witch Hunt' by somebody. But no matter what you say the Hawks have been creating black eyes for themselves lately.

In business you can create various rules & restrictions with good intentions (like a cap system for example). But if theirs a loophole somebody's gonna find it and use it. If you don't like the loophole close it. Don't try to punish a team for following a rule you just noticed and don't like! Stupid...

way to go wrote:

The heck with the contract flap, no player is worth this kind of money anyway-anywhere

I love the Hawks but I do have to agree with you it's pretty ridiculous. On a side note I'm sure I'll get ripped here but I think ALL SPORTS should have 'PERFORMANCE BASED CONTRACTS'. You perform you get the bucks you don't then you don't. You'd see a better game cause of it. I know it's a pipe dream and no players association would ever go for it. And I realize you do have to take into account for the possibility for career ending injuries that's why athletes get paid big bucks. Big bucks is one thing 100 million dollar deals are another. For example one of McD's previous dealings: Soriano what was his deal worth '300 million' I think? That's insane theirs no way to justify that. Often times after a deal like that MANY (but not all) ever perform up to potential again. Why would they theirs no incentive to do so. Sorry, didn't mean to drive the discussion off of a cliff here.

[Blackhawk Down]

Yeah, you're right about having to trade or let go of a few players to make that work. Especially after having to dole out extra money to players because of your lack of detail to paperwork...and good luck finding takers for campbell and huet (cap hit of about $13 mil a year)...definitely won't find a team with a front office as inept as yours!

And yes, Hossa was definitely great for us. He helped beat your team in the conference finals in 5 games. With one arm, no less...

Tim - Hockey Rules wrote:

<quoted text>
With the CAP there is no doubt that there are going to be some players traded to free up some cap space. With that they will resign Kane, Toews and Keith. There is no way the Hawks are letting any of them leave. My question to you is if you are a Wings fan as you appear to be why are you writing on a Hawks story?? And by admission of the Wings GM Hossa had the torn rotater cuff last year and it got hurt even worst in the playoffs. That is why he dodn't play too well in the finals. He was a very good player for the Wings last year.

[Pete W]

Section 317 wrote:

<quoted text>
You're point's well taken, but I was speaking of rough numbers. To counterpoint, add in what an average fan spends in addition to the ticket price and parking and I would say the Hawks are pretty deep in black ink on the balance sheet. Given their attendance and the fact that their ticket prices are above the league average, I'd say they're doing pretty well. If not...then it follows that a lot of teams in the league would be in red ink. Makes sense...right??

I agree. Overall if your selling out every night and ticket prices are above average you should be doing well. They would be doing better if they owned their own TV station (ie Toronto Maple Leafs - Leafs TV). They have the hightest ticket prices in the league, have sold out every game for decades, and make a fortune off Leafs TV. But at the end of the day the cap is the same for everyone, so the organization is filthy rich!

[Pete]

This is crap. Detroit has done the exact same thing in recent years with Lidstrom & Zetterberg, etc. and the NHL doesn't so much as bat an eye, but now they want to make an example of the Hawks?!? Total double standard. And big surprise that many GM's in the league support this NHL witch-hunt - nothing but sour grapes!

[MC Madman]

This is not crap, what is crap are the BS collective bargaining salary cap rules.

[Ivy]

Rocket Man wrote:

Sounds like one of two things:
(1) the NHL is out to get the Blackhawks for firing Dale Talon or
(2) Dale Talon really screwed up and deserved to be fired.
I smell Detroit all over this one.

Put the blame where it belongs because THIS reaks of John McDonough to me.