Leafs Run Afoul of Cap

It may have been only $600. But it was $600 too much.

The NHL has informed the Maple Leafs they will be fined an undisclosed amount for violating the league's salary cap rules after head coach Ron Wilson rewarded his players with a small cash bonus after winning his 600th game in San Jose on Tuesday.

"We have no problem with this fine," GM Brian Burke told The Star today. "Ron wasn't aware this conduct is not permitted, nor was I. We accept the fine without objection or protest of any kind."

Part of the cap system instituted in 2005 was intended to make sure there were no more side deals between teams and players that were not specifically part of the Standard Player Contract. Teams used to routinely keep unofficial agreements "in the drawer" that allowed players benefits, cash or otherwise, that the league never knew about.

Article 26 of the current collective bargaining agreement states clearly "Neither a Club nor a Club Actor may pay or provide a Player anything of value except as provided in his (contract)."

Obviously, Wilson's cash-for-wins move isn't a violation on the same level as that committed by the New Jersey Devils with the Ilya Kovalchuk situation last summer, and it was a small amount. At the same time, if GMs and coaches were to start blatantly giving thousands of dollars in cash incentives to their players it would be a way for teams to get around the cap.

That said, it happens. At least one NHL manager put $100,000 of his own money out for his players if they could knock off a rival in a big playoff series several years ago, and nobody ever heard about that.

What the Leafs were most guilty of, quite probably, is making it too obvious, with Wilson caught on camera with a wad of cash in his hand after the 4-2 victory and with players openly commenting on the matter.

The moral of the story is probably that if you're going to violate the cap, do it quietly.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Comments

[BettmanHasNoBrain]

One more joke from this joke of a league...

[Peter]

this is a ridiculous thing. what's wrong with putting his own money up? and $600 bucks? that's peanuts. the league should deal with the many much more important problems they have...

[Carlos]

If the Leafs play with that much effort and enthusiasm when Wilson puts up $600/player for a win, imagine how they would play if they made millions of doll-...

What's that? Oh. Nevermind then.

[Todd]

Granted I was quite tired early when the Leafs/Sharks game ended but I could have sworn that I saw a player handing Wilson a, as Damien describes, a wad of cash as the camera was showing Wilson walking down the hallway immediately after the win.

I rewound the footage on my PVR and yep, I was positive it was $$ that Wilson was given. And it sure looked like a good sized bankroll.

[Moe Green]

Why is this even the small story that it is? Stop reporting on the ridiculous minutia of this absurd league. Let's talk about the breaking the stick penalty and delay of game which have to go. Or how about the horrible officiating night-in, night-out!

[Ryan W. (Ottawa)]

Glad to see that the NHL cares more about the perception of taking authority rather than helping to celebrate a huge career and league milestone.

Keep it up Bettman. $600 isn't even enough money for a family of 4 to see a game in Toronto. Maybe, just maybe, you should focus your smarmy faced self on where some real issues in the NHL lie.

[snacker]

The league doesn't worry about throwing away millions to pay for teams that will never turn a profit in the south (they would even rather pay for and take on salary for teams - Phoenix), yet they make a big deal about a coach throwing his guys a few bucks for a big win (a milestone victory no less) - I guess buying the boys dinner is out of the question too, eh? Bettman and his henchmen have ait all wrong again, but who's really surprised. The lesson is, don't let anyone see what happens in the dressing room...or you might get fined if Gary doesn't like it....a page out of the "No Fun League" books...

[Ron]

For the love of God, the league's best player gets whacked in the head with an elbow, is out four games and no telling how much longer and this is what they deal with...total chicken #&!* on their part, not surprising though!!!

[We BeLeaf]

If you divide up the money, it works out to $26 for the whole team....they might be able to buy a case of cheap beer (HST included, of course) and the league surely will have none of that!

[Sam]

The money is not coming from the organization though. It's Ron's personal money, not the Toronto Maple Leafs. I guess Ron is considered a club actor ... whatever. If only the NHL were so technical to the tee about their other rules.

[Jemmco]

Wow, If all we have to do is give each player 40 bucks a game to win, I will start donating today !! Seriously you think they won for the "cash incentive" ....

[oakville_girl]

I remember seeing Wilson hand something to someone as they were walking back to the dressing room. I had thought at the time that it looked like folded money, so when I heard this morning about this situation, I wasn't surprised.

Seriously, what was the harm if it was a small amount? It wasn't like they were betting through a bookie or agency.

[Jay C.]

So does Orr get an extra $600 for each star player he takes out with a cheap shot during his one shift of the game?

[Chris]

How come the Star is running a photo from last April? It's not like there hasn't been any other Wilson photos since then.

[Dave]

I wonder if the same penalty would have been imposed if he had just bought the team a round of drinks in the hotel bar?

It would probably just as much, and no one would have batted an eye!

[80s Leafs]

The NHL will probably base the fine to the Leafs on the amount the Federal League fined Reggie Dunlop for the hundred bucks of his own money that he put down as a bounty to be paid to the first of his players to really nail that creep, Tim "Dr. Hook" McCracken of Syracuse.
They will probably also ban the playing of "Lady of Spain" during stoppages in play at the next 10 Leaf home games.

[terry]

$600 may indeed be a trifling to the people involved, but it does make me wonder about Ron Wilson's judgement (or lack of) here. Surely he would have known this would be against the rules, and if he didn't, surely he would had the common sense to check and bounce it up to management and Brian Burke, who all, also, should have known.

[Tziki]

The sooner Bettman leaves the league the better and this league will be much better off, more Canadian teams will come once he leaves. Hockey is 5th in the US in pecking order and will always be , but Bettman is still trying to prove a point after all these years.

Hockey is Canada and always will!

[KD]

Doesn't Buttman have better things to worry about? Like how to bring in a serious and consistent head-hunting policy> Or what other hot hockey markets would like a team, like Las Vegas, Tulsa, or Kansas City (long live the Scouts)? Or what about finding other ways to keep Canadian cities out of the NHL? C'mon Gary, get your priorities right for a change.

[Simmer]

@Peter
The rule has to be there, because GMs and Coaches to my knowledge are not under the cap, so whats to stop Lou Lammerello from making $20 million a year, signing Kovalchuk at $1 million a year, and just giving him a $9 million dollar bonus out of his pocket every year. Obviously that example is a little extreme, but thats why they come down so hard on this in a cap era.

Damien, my question to you is in the details. Are the fined because this extra cash given to the players is added to the cap? So they were that close to the cap that this past cash bonus put their total over by $600? If that was the case, would it have been possible to bury a contract in the minors to give them flexibility to do this? (I know they never would, I'm just curious about the situation).

Thanks!

[Sens-ible Bill]

I can't believe the . . . the . . . I hate to call it stupid, but I confess I'm struggling to find a kinder but still accurate term. Let's just say I can't believe the totally misguided reaction here.
It's a valid rule that serves a valid purpose. And it's black and white --- any amount is too much.
Otherwise it's a judgment call that could set off all kinds of crazy disputes. I mean, where else do you draw the line? How much is too much?
And don't think teams wouldn't be trying to find ways to beat the cap if this rule wasn't in place.
I know Simmer uses hyperbole to make his point but it IS a valid point. Oh yeah, THIS money came from the coach's pocket. But without this rule, who says how reward/bounty funds might get into the coach's pockets to begin with? Or would they bother even going through the coach? Without the rule, GMs could make all kinds of back-door agreements.
I know it seems a paltry sum to some but without the rule, how would you prevent it from evolving into greater, more significant sums?
I like the rule. It's against the rules to do it, period! Doesn't matter how little or how much. Break the rule, you pay.
And as far as I am concerned, they can THEN use the punishment to fit the crime. Set the level of fine according to roughly the size of the reward/bounty AND the perceived intent.
Oh I know there are many who can't wait to jump all over Bettman and/or the league. But for once, stop a second, use some sense, think it through. It's obviously an approved rule that's on the books and probably wouldn't be there if there hadn't already been a history --- referred to in passing by Mr. Cox --- to show that it was needed.
A minor amount this time. And the league showing it's awake and aware enough to follow established procedure might just discourage others teams from messing around with rewards/bounties --- perhaps involving HIGHER sums --- to try and get around the salary cap.
The very salary cap that the teams (management, not players) themselves not only agreed to, BUT CLOSED DOWN THE LEAGUE TO GET!
Get it, now?