Bettman, Daly: No changes coming to LTIR system taken at PPG Paints Arena (NHL)

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Gary Bettman speaks in Denver on Wednesday.

It doesn't look like there will be any changes to the NHL's long-term injured reserve system anytime soon.

The league doesn't think any change is needed.

Commissioner Gary Bettman and deputy commissioner Billy Daly both defended the LTIR system at their press conference ahead of Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final, with Daly saying that he doesn't even expect the subject to be a point of discussion at the upcoming Board of Governors meeting.

"I think as facts played out over the course of the end of the season, I think the fears that were out there in the media with respect to how the cap was being manipulated didn't come to fruition," Daly said. "The fact of the matter is that the regular season is so important that clubs don't have the luxury to mess with their rosters down the stretch. I think that was proven this year."

With the Lightning back in the Stanley Cup Final again, there has been some noise surrounding the team's use of LTIR. It was last season when Nikita Kucherov missed the entire regular season following a hip surgery, allowing the Lightning to receive cap relief on his $9.5 million cap hit. Kucherov returned in the postseason when there is no salary cap and led the Lightning in postseason scoring on their way to a second consecutive Stanley Cup.

The Lightning again utilized LTIR for the length of the 2021-22 season, though there's common misconception regarding what impact that LTIR actually had. The Lightning acquired defenseman Brent Seabrook from Chicago in the offseason. Seabrook missed the entirety of the 2020-21 season and is unofficially retired. The Lightning put Seabrook and his $6,875,000 cap hit on LTIR, a move that doesn't gain or cost the Lightning any cap space. They took on his $6,875,000 cap hit, and received $6,875,000 in relief. The net change is zero. 

Bettman and Daly were asked if Tampa's success is related to the team taking advantage of salary cap "loopholes," and both Bettman and Daly disagreed with the notion.

“I don’t think they've been using loopholes,” Bettman said. “They’re using the agreement as it’s been drafted. I think that’s an unfair characterization. I know there’s been discussion and perception about the long-term injury exception, but it’s been around for 17 years. They’re not using loopholes. They’re using effective cap management. Everybody is operating under the same agreement."

Daly agreed that Tampa isn't doing anything exceptional when it comes to cap management.

"Look, I see how all 32 of our clubs operate," Daly said. "I can tell you Tampa would not be one I'd put at the top of the list."

MORE FROM BETTMAN, DALY

• The league is expecting record revenues "in excess of $5.2 billion." Bettman estimated that revenues in the last season that wasn't impacted by COVID, 2018-19, had revenues of $4.6 billion. Because the league is still recouping lost revenues from COVID-impacted seasons, Bettman estimates that we won't see "normal" year-to-year salary cap increases for another two or three years.

• Bettman said that the 2022-23 season will begin on Oct. 11 and return to a typical season schedule.

• The league is investigating the alleged sexual assault of a woman in 2018 involving eight members of the Canadian World Junior team. Daly said the league expects to be able to interview each member of that 2018 team and has been in contact with Hockey Canada. The league intends to make public the results of the investigation upon completion.

• The Stanley Cup will not be allowed to travel to Russia or Belarus this summer as a result of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. A Russian player could still have his day with the Cup, he just can't do it in Russia.

• Bettman and Daly were asked if given the rise of sports betting, if the league is going to move past the "upper-body," "lower-body" injury designations and give more specifics. 

"The most important thing for us is what happens on the ice," Daly said. "Health and safety of our players is paramount importance for us and is directly related to performance on the ice. So if that means that betting interests take a back seat to the safety of our players, then we plead guilty to that."

• Bettman on the Coyotes playing in the 5,000-seat Arizona State arena beginning next season as the team searches for a new home in Arizona: "You do what you have to do if you believe in a market long-term."

Bettman said that such a circumstance isn't unprecedented, citing the Flames briefly playing in the 7,000-seat Stampede Corral in 1980 upon relocating from Atlanta, the Lightning briefly playing in the 11,000-seat Expo Hall upon coming into the league in 1992, and the Sharks playing in the 11,000-seat Cow Palace upon coming into the league in 1991.

• Bettman also offered praise for the Oak View Group (who are also the new managers of PPG Paints Arena) for their work on the Arizona State arena: "The Oak View group has been a very constructive force on new facilities. Their track record includes the transformed arena in Seattle -- the Climate Pledge Arena -- and the new UBS Arena on Long Island. They do a very good job of putting arenas together."

• The grievance filed by Evander Kane over his contract termination by San Jose has yet to have hearings yet, and the arbitrator is unavailable for the month of June. The grievance may not be settled before free agency opens on July 13, Daly said.

• Daly was asked if reporters will be permitted in locker rooms next season and didn't give a straight answer: "When it's appropriate we're going to go back to how the world was before. We think in-person access is important, we value it, and we're going to protect it."

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