So once again the NHL owners are showing their true multiple personality disorders. The 2005 National Hockey League season was cancelled because they owners needed a cap put in place in order to control spiraling salaries.  5 years later, these same owners are offering 15-20 year contracts to 30 year old players that they know full well the individual cannot fulfill. 

Why are they doing this?  To circumvent the salary cap that they fought to put in place!!  Logic like that can only be found in the NHL. (Well maybe the CFL too but does it really count?).

For example last year then 30 year old goaltender Roberto Luongo signed a 12 year contract extension to remain with the Vancouver Canucks.  In this armchair sportsfan’s opinion, Luongo’s best years are behind him.  However, he was the best goalie available to the Vancouver franchise at the time, so in order to keep him, they had to front load a long term contract.  By front loading, the player gets his astronomical salary (yes, the type of salaries that the owners closed down a season to put an end to) and the team averages the contract over a long period of time to stay under the salary cap.  Players like Henrik Zetterberg and Marian Hossa did the same thing.

Finally the League has had enough.  Garry Bettman, et al, rejected the 17 year 102 million dollar deal that the New Jersey Devils offered to sniper Ilya Kovalchuk.  And it's about time.  How can the owners justify locking out players to control salaries and then find ways to work around the process in order to give players huge salaries? 

These salary games by the NHL owners need to be put to an end. Here is a simple solution.  Put a cap on team’s spending for each season and any monies that are to be allocated in that particular year go against that year’s salary cap.  For instance if the Devils plan to pay Kovalchuk 12 million the first year and lower the annual salary the older the contract gets, that the 12 million goes against the first year’s cap.  This would put an abrupt end to the long term front loaded deals.

But let’s be honest, that would make too much sense.  And sensible moves annoy the delusional hockey elite because they like to believe us “regular fans” just don’t understand all the intricacies involved in the game.

Agree or disagree, I’m off the goalpost.

www.offthegoalpost.com