NHL Rumors: Gary Bettman Shuts Down Salary Cap Rumors
Reports, including one from Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, suggested that the cap could rise by $7 million to $9 million, far exceeding the standard 5% annual increase outlined in the current collective bargaining agreement (CBA).
Addressing the rumors ahead of the Ottawa Senators' game against the Edmonton Oilers, Bettman firmly refuted the claims, stating, “I don’t know where that came from. The numbers that were being thrown around were not accurate.”
Gary Bettman Already Wants To Ruin Your Christmas, Says He Has No Idea Where Massive Salary Cap Increase Numbers Are Coming From https://t.co/gkgYjuFlEp pic.twitter.com/5JvqhCKyHb
— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) November 21, 2024
Under the CBA, the salary cap is expected to grow incrementally unless the league and the NHL Players’ Association (NHLPA) negotiate a larger adjustment.
With the cap currently set at $88 million for the 2024-25 season, a standard 5% increase would raise it to $92.4 million for 2025-26.
Friedman’s report, however, suggested a jump to as high as $97 million, sparking considerable discussion among league insiders.
Bettman dismissed the speculation as baseless, adding, “Somebody, I think, floated something on a slow news day,” while emphasizing that any deviation from the standard increase would require new negotiations between the league and the NHLPA.
While Bettman did not entirely rule out the possibility of a higher-than-usual increase in the future, he noted the need for realistic expectations. “Anything’s possible, but the numbers weren’t anywhere close to accurate,” he said.
Photo Credit: Marc DesRosiers-Imagn Images
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