Why the BIGGEST loophole in hockey might NEVER be closed

With Mark Stone returning just in time for Game 1 of the playoffs against the Dallas Stars, I wanted to dig a bit deeper into the "loophole" that has allowed teams to operate over the Salary Cap in the past few years. And I also discuss what potential solutions might exist to this problem and why they haven't been implemented already.
#vegasgoldenknights #markstone #ltir #stanleycupplayoffs #cunuckhockey
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[@eggiieggii]

mark my words... the NHL will change the rules when the Canucks take advantage of it.

[@CunuckHockey]

Hahah god it sure does feel like it doesn't it. I'll never forget the Luongo recapture penalty where it was enforced retroactively 😭

[@Awesometrax]

Or if any Canadian team other than the Leafs and maybe the Habs did it. If the Jets used this in the same way Vegas did, there's no doubt in my mind that the rules would change very quickly and the Jets would probably also get retroactively fined for it. EDIT-in case anyone comes after me for this comment, yes I'm aware that the Leafs are using LTIR. Their situation is not the same however as in the case of Matt Murray and John Klingberg, they were out well before the trade deadline and were not ready for the playoffs. I believe it was similar with Muzzin too. I don't have an issue with their situation. But if they randomly had someone like Marner or Tavares suddenly become injured right before the deadline only to come back in game 1 of the playoffs, it would raise the same eyebrows as the Stone situation.

[@slasher1087]

Canucks are icing a team that's 3 million over cap sooo

[@forivall]

​@@slasher1087even with Demko being out from injuries? Like, I figure he'd be on ltir for this during regular season.

[@slasher1087]

@forivall they just showed it yesterday on ESPN I think it was. Toronto is at $97 million, Tampa 93, Vegas 92, Colorado 90, Vancouver 86, and LA at 85. I assume since it was yesterday that Demko wasn't included but either way at one point with or without him, they were over at least 1 game.

[@slartibartfast99]

Just allow overall squads to be over the cap limit but apply the cap limit to the on ice team. That way, for Stone to return, Hanafin and Hertl or the equivalent cap hit players would have to sit out

[@m1j4s]

Such a simple solution that makes perfect sense!

[@chuck2469]

That won't work. The cap is 84 million but it's spread out per day. You can't put a cap on players who aren't getting paid

[@slartibartfast99]

@@chuck2469 I don't know the finer workings of how the cap is calculated but, looking at cap friendly, the Oilers currently have a cap hit of $83.5m dollars and McDavid is $12.5m of that. What I'm suggesting is that teams should be allowed to build a squad that goes as far over the $84m limit as they want, but the on ice team, during any match, cannot exceed $84m, so if the Oilers wanted to give McDavid a rest or if he was injured then they could then call up whoever they wanted as long as the on ice team cap hit still didn't exceed $84m

[@aggravatedstrawberry]

How would that work for salaries and stuff?​@slartibartfast99

[@rickbick2206]

fun fact if that was the rule vegas still wouldve won the cup last year they did not play 1 single game with an on ice roster exceeding the cap. nobody wants to point that one out tho

[@user-yg1dg6xm2g]

This is the best solution I've heard mentioned: Players MUST be removed from LTIR prior to the start of Game 82, or they are not eligible to play in the playoffs.

[@th3oryO]

This or have a salary cap in the playoffs

[@Saltee323]

Good idea, then at that point they would have to meet the salary cap. Three years in a row for Stone. I ain't buyin it.

[@CubeInspector]

​@@th3oryO players aren't paid salary in the playoffs, salary cap doesn't work

[@stanschmenge1965]

I know the NHLPA is okay with it, because it increases the amount of money the players take from the NHL.

[@CunuckHockey]

Yep, exactly

[@Hated_Sien]

Players are ok with it, the owners are ok with it. Sounds like only when fans have a problem with it.

[@guruntbangoo5686]

Just the opposite... they get paid relative peanuts in the playoffs... but for them to enact a salary cap in the next CBA, the NHLPA would obviously require they players to be paid at least their equivalent pay for regular season games, which would cost the owners millions... that's why no owners want the change..

[@draneym2003]

In that case, I'll argue with the NHL that why am I paying for tickets just to watch my team lose because some other team decides to pull this garbage?

[@guruntbangoo5686]

@@draneym2003 same reason you pay for tickets just to watch your team lose if the other team pulls their goalie for a 6-5 at the end..

[@slasher1087]

Ironically everyone wants to blame Vegas for cap even though they are #3 in cap in thr playoffs and the top 2 teams lost their asses in thr first 2 games of the playoffs. Money doesn't mean anything. The team actually has to play well.

[@kriminal012]

They also miss the point that eichel is the glue / key to knights success. Which was actually shrewd business by the knights and mgmt

[@HockeyRiveNord]

The difference is that the other teams don't have magically-healthy by Game 1. Also, the 'but players aren't paid during the playoffs' - neither are they paid in the summer, and the cap is enforced with a 10% margin to accomodate movement. The saying 'when it really matters' is when there are less rules, on and off the ice, compared to when they aren't playing at all 🤔 Cap should follow into the playoffs, if atleast for the on-ice roster. Personnaly, it'd be the same as in season, with the ability to have 3 black aces, with waivers applied. Enough cheating.

[@slasher1087]

@HockeyRiveNord over cap is over cap regardless of how you got over the cap. If at least 6 teams are currently there, and 2 of them have been absolutely embarrassed so far then it doesn't seem like an advantage.

[@shiversneak]

@@kriminal012 Eichel was quite the gamble based on his injury but then again Vegas knows something about gambling. :)

[@ChrisTedoni]

This tactic allows teams to temporarily gain a financial advantage late in the season so pieces they could use for the playoffs have time to gel with the rest of the team. It lets them add pieces without problem that they wouldn’t have otherwise.

[@kevinnagel68]

The loophole needs to close.. THATS ALL.. simple, if you gain players by putting them in the LTR, those players that you gained either don’t play in the playoffs or the returning player doesn’t play in the playoffs

[@vegasmobydick]

That sounds fair...right up until the situation is with your team. Do you think EDM fans would just sit there and take it if McDavid was on LTIR but was healthy enough to play in the post-season only to be told, "Sorry, you can't play"?

[@kenmammel7748]

The salary cap rules should remain the same for the entie full season. Anytime the player returns, any other player gets sent down so as not to exceed the cap ceiling. When the playoffs begin, no players can be brought back onto the team. It's so simple and fair.

[@brenrenae4819]

Percentage of LTIR relief based on games played and games remaining. Ex. $10mill cap, injured at 20 games, $7.5mill LTIR cap relief. Allows for replacement of injured stars, but keeps it so that when playoffs come around there aren't several teams well above the cap, only slightly.

[@marciimeris503]

Also only reason dallas is #1 and vegas is #8 is the injuries vegas faced. Vegas started the season with what 15 straight games with points? Then the first injury popped up then 2 then 6 players were out + both our goalies at one point. That and the west let dallas beat up on them. Vegas went 3-0 in the regular season against dallas.

[@chairmanofthebored6860]

Yeah. Neat. This is Vegas gaming the system though. This was a calculated move that almost everyone except Vegas fans would consider cheating.

[@liljoe31]

As you can see, it is a waste of time talking to these drama queens. Its like arguing w the wife

[@marciimeris503]

@chairmanofthebored6860 yup vegas calculated exactly when mark stones spleen would explode and nearly cost their season. Buddy we only made it in by 2 wins over st Louis. That's not a comfortable entry.

[@marciimeris503]

@chairmanofthebored6860 also if everyone but vegas fans are considering this cheating. They're all cheating. There's 3 or 4 teams with more salary over the cap in the off season than vegas as we speak. But you absolute useless humans only see vegas as wrong

[@chairmanofthebored6860]

@@marciimeris503 lol and Mark Stone conveniently recovered from an injury that requires 3 months of not even moving just in time for game 1 of the playoffs. Coincidences happen I guess, but I'm not betting on it with Vegas' track record of exploiting LTIR.

[@mtndew0859]

I think what gets people suspicious is the timing of the injury. Like you said in the video Stone is injured right before every trade deadline for the past 3 years. Even if the injuries are all legit you can see why people raise their eyebrows when Stone comes right for game 1 of the playoffs. I understand this loophole is allowed but this has to be very frustrating for anyone who has to face Vegas

[@rickbick2206]

sure the timing is sus but just cuz its sus doesnt mean anything fishy is actually going on as stated in this video the teams doctors nhl and third party doctors all review these injuries so that no team can fake them or lie about what the real injury is.

[@schnob92]

​@rickbick2206 nothing a fee $$ doesn't cover the eyes of.

[@CharlesABelair]

The problem is that this is manipulated informations. In 2022, the Golden Knights missed the playoffs and Stone was back before the end of the season. In 2023, Stone was injured in beginning of January and had back surgery on the 31st. He was then put on LTIR before the trade deadline in February, two weeks after his surgery for which he had been gone over a month. This year, the timeline for his return was set to 3 to 6 months, but similar injuries had a recovery time of 60 days. Stone was back after 61 days. He was wearing a non-contact red jersey on practice Saturday, 2 days before Game 1 against the Stars.

[@MrIheartShark]

The obsession on this is hilarious. Toronto is 14mil over the cap and no one says shit because they suck. Vegas is the 4th highest over. Only thing people are pissed about is Stone returning. However, the cap deadline exists when it does to force trades before the deadline, but also to provide late adds during a long season because of injuries. Last year stone went through back surgery to make that “cap workaround” possible. That’s a hell of a price to pay….

[@liljoe31]

He doesnt seem 100 per cent either. There is no reasoning w the "Knights are cheating crowd" it s like arguing facts w a toddler. Funny as heck tho

[@SpaceShot]

The NHLPA is going to want something in return to change the rule. Even if players think it's bs they also know it means teams can spend over the cap in the regular season and add jobs to replace injured players. They're going to want to figure out how not to lose out on that.

[@DiogenesTheCynic.]

17 teams finished the season over the cap, 12 of them are in the playoffs. Nashville injured Stone on Feb 22, Stone was not just randomly put on LTIR, Eichel was also on LTIR and was just activated when Stone went out. Lehner is still counted towards Vegas' cap and LTIR pool who is never coming back to play for league, lowering their real cap + LTIR from 92m to 87m, only ~5m above the cap. Stone in 2022 came back to play 9 regular season games and missed the playoffs, the regular season ended April 29th. (5:54 Wrong) VGK's 2023 playoff roster was under the cap. Leafs and Bolts are 98m and 93m this season, and they are losing their current playoff series. This isnt a Vegas is cheating situation, its a Vegas did it better than Chicago or Tampa and others that have tried and failed are angry. Edit: Mark Stone was still playing with injuries during 2023 playoffs, and had lost the first game against the Jets. They didnt immediately click yet. And its clear that he and other athletes are playing while injured until they cant, like with what just happenes to Demko for the Canucks.

[@MotivatingLiam]

Can anyone tell me which playoff game VGK was not cap compliant on their Stanley Cup win? Anyone?

[@mattb2389]

Well since there is NO salary cap in the playoffs no team has ever been non cap compliant

[@Mike-zf4xg]

your IQ didnt hit the 70 cap for being a re...

[@johnburns9634]

Vegas had the most man games due to injury. and 17/32 teams use this.

[@MelbourneLTC]

They dont want to hear that though 🤫

[@liljoe31]

It s an emotional issue, so whoever feels threatened by the knights will screech the loudest

[@johnburns9634]

@@liljoe31 there are others who just want a rule changed.

[@bustertn2014]

@@johnburns9634 None of the owners or players want it changed. Why? More stars, so there are more eyes on the game, and butts in the seats. This leads to more money for both the owners and the players. Neither one of them want's it to change.

[@johnburns9634]

@@bustertn2014 agreed.

[@yiordanni]

If you can’t play game 82, then you can’t play in the playoffs.

[@DR.Knightmare]

This was actually a fair and level headed take. Not just shouting into the Void, like most of social media at the moment. Great video!

[@CunuckHockey]

Thank you! I try to take my emotions and personal biases out when I make these videos because I feel like there's a lot of hyper emotional takes out there already like you said and I didn't want to add to that. Glad you enjoyed the video!

[@Chyeahokay]

Simple fix. Make the playoff teams have the same salary cap…

[@imulippo5245]

Before that players must be paid for the duration of playoffs

[@chuck2469]

That won't work, NHL players contracts are for the 82 regular season. There's no way the NHLPA would want to restructure their contracts to include the playoffs

[@CosmicGrind]

Everyone can do it though. I'm no Knights fan, but it's not like it's only exclusive to Vegas

[@HalfNHalf.]

Exactly. What are people actually mad at? They should turn their anger towards their teams management. They’re literally upset that Vegas thought of doing this and their teams didn’t😂

[@harrywiebe9361]

Very good Video.

[@eggstu]

I absolutely think all teams should start this. Competitive balance is important and this is a clear advantage for teams during the most important stretch.

[@CubeInspector]

Half the NHL finished over the cap my dude. All teams do use this

[@MrDanny1145]

"They're not breaking any rules." That's the point, and that's why the rules should be changed. Circumventing the salary cap to gain a competitive advantage shouldn't be permitted.

[@Mikuru_Kun]

To me, it's not cheating if the injury is legit.

[@liljoe31]

Um, excuse me, not according to every hockey channel on youtube (except THG) the knights are just cheaterz and everyone hates them now

[@Fallout3131]

@@liljoe31THG is the only hockey channel that has smart takes, so I vote with him.

[@dnllamb]

Obviously, the teams didn't think the salary cap loophole was a problem if all of them voted against it when the Lightning proposed it in 2015. Wonder if the vote would be different today.

[@user-yg1dg6xm2g]

If Vegas wins the Cup this year, fans are going to be pissed and the NHL will be forced to make changes.

[@Ineverleft604]

I had no idea about Ryan Keslers groin thing got dang i cringe when i saw that

[@ethanmorrow3360]

They could do a percentage system, where you get a percentage of cap relief based on the percentage of regular season games remaining. That way the whole “players don’t get paid in the playoffs” argument isn’t affected but also makes it so that the super convenient pre-deadline injuries have less impact

[@jaylenbarnes2.079]

Good Video

[@CunuckHockey]

Thank you!

[@ryans413]

Here’s an easy way make teams cap compliment for the playoffs. The fact the cap just magically dosnt exist come playoff time is so stupid. Once the LTIR player is healthy again and is going to return teams should be forced to make roster moves to stay under the cap this would literally fix it.

[@DR.Knightmare]

How are you going to convince the owners, GMs, and players to change it? They don't get any salary in the playoffs. The money they get is based on how far the team progresses in the tournament. And how are you going to convince owners that they can't put their top tier guy out on the ice after an injury. A lot of moving parts, money and people that need to be persuaded to change the rule.

[@anatolykhalizev2356]

Agree. I would say,outside of my proposal to make LTIR unplayeable for several years, at least ban their appearance in playoffs.

[@lavishfuzz]

Love when people jump over the fact Tampa tried to vote against it lmao. Thanks for the vid

[@anthonystamper3355]

I am a VKG fan and I understand the dilemma here. Wouldn’t an easy fix be to enforce the salary cap throughout the playoffs?

[@DavidBerg-kk5ny]

Stone made a great recovery

[@Ohhelmno]

Fans know that the injuries are real, the problem is there’s some subjectivity to whether or not someone is fully injured or could go or blah blah blah because people will play through a lot even in the regular season, so guys could healthy enough that they came back like a month ago, or they could still be fairly hurt in the playoffs or whatever but the subjectivity of injury allows players to come back at the most convenient time for the team and not the best time that they’re legit healed enough or whatever ya know. Like, if the cap didn’t exist would Mark Stone have come back a month before the playoffs to get into game shape and stuff and get some game time in? Maybe he would’ve. We don’t know, but it’s really fishy when it’s game 1 of the playoffs.

[@draneym2003]

I don't like the idea of just saying if a guy gets hurt, tough shit, but if teams are just to keep doing this garbage they ruined it for everyone.

[@toesly]

Great video. I appreciate that you explained both sides of the situation.

[@gamesbyjd4125]

Simple solution playoffs are still part of the current season and teams should be required to be cap compliant until the end of the cup finals.

[@bustertn2014]

Vegas didn't make the playoffs 1 of those years and yet in that same year played 7 games at the end of the season trying to get in. So pay attention buttercup.

[@ChrisTedoni]

The only option you have really is to allow every team in playoff contention the ability to sit a single player from their roster for the remainder of the season. No team practices and so on. They sit and you have the cap space to play with. Come playoff time, guy you sat can play. Do you risk your playoff spot on the trade deadline by sitting what could be your best player to have pieces you may never get to use or do you stay away from the gamble.

[@schnob92]

Isnt the easy solution to put a salary cap in the playoffs? Or maybe I haven't gotten to that part of the video yet

[@SpeedandSplendor]

It's in the Grey area but the league wants the best players playing in the playoffs, trades are exciting and it gives rebuilding teams more trade partners... not going anywhere anytime soon.

[@shiversneak]

Gained a subscriber. Excellent take on this all. Players love it. Owners love it. Fans and media are idiots.

[@zangradisek]

NHL should make salary cap turn off after round 1, then for this kind of teams would be harder to advance to round 2

[@balayagesalon]

Stone has a spleen prob .Pietrangelo had an appendectomy. Karlsson played with a lower body injuryv.etc etc .They still are screwed up and not well

[@alphahotel8391]

The cap should end after the trade deadline, just to really spice things up. 😂

[@Steven-id9mc]

Why not be able to exceed the salary cap but with internal players, like minor leaguers only? It would still not count towards games played in the NHL, so their rookie status would still be intact for the next season, if they play in the NHL.

[@trenelson9212]

Finally logic coming from a ltir video.

[@alexd5674]

Half the total cap hit should transfer to the next season.

[@tomi_ow]

I think LTIR should mean that the player is out for a long time. If placed on it, the player should essentially be suspended. Not asking for a million games especially in the playoffs but if they aren’t injured for a long time, why are they on the long time injury reserve? I think this removes the advantage to some extent while still following the spirit of LTIR. Then again it'd feel dumb if your star player is suspended for recovering too quickly.

[@alestyralva13]

It's just fans being fans. You see it in wrestling all the time... All teams take advantage of this rule. It's just that Vegas does it better...

[@SportsPlug-cp1eq]

Why is there no salary cap in the playoffs though?

[@AaronKnapik-ch1hy]

Its a great video but you missed a key point. The NHL does not allow players to fake an injury for the All-Star game to then play in the next game. They know faking an injury is an issue. So why not just bar players who are "injured" every game between the trade deadline to the end of the season from playing the first four games of the playoffs. Suddenly...no more fake injuries.

[@anthonyteichroeb917]

As soon as the Canadian teams do it then its game over

[@GoodMenstruationAttitude]

Also how do people not get this? It's not a loophole available to every team - you are literally rewarded (if you have the cash) for having more LTIR than other teams. Like duh.

[@KillerSniper55]

Just because it’s available to every team doesn’t mean it’s a good thing and some GMs may view it as cheating as well.

[@rickbick2206]

@@KillerSniper55 yeah only 1 gm in the entire league thought it wasnt right and if only 1 thinks that then why would they change anything. maybe because every other gm doesnt think its cheating and doesnt give a shit if vegas utilizes it because they know they can do the same thing and if everyone is allowed to do something the its not cheating when someone does it basic life skills you shouldve learned when u were 5

[@liljoe31]

This is an emotional issue and the whiners will not listen to reason or facts. Their feelings are hurt and they want you to know about it. I think it's funny af

[@FalloutUrMum]

They need to make playoff teams cap compliant

[@BlueFlash25]

Seeing as all NHL teams don´t care about changing this rule, I can´t be bothered to get angry or support my team.

[@pelky16]

why don't you just have a cap penalty for the next year, when you are over in the playoffs

[@Cilvathorne]

It's easy, just force teams to ice a cap compliant lineup in the playoffs. Vegas can still acquire Hanafin and Hertl to stay competitive, but they block Stone from re-entering the lineup. Easy solution.

[@christinarussell2898]

last year when the vegas was under the cap during the whole play offs but interesting how no one talks about that

[@datriaxsondor590]

Then they shouldn't mind being under the cap during these playoffs too, right?

[@jamesp.3951]

I don’t know why if it is legal and in the rules why wouldn’t every team do this. It is sort of like taking a tax deduction for charitable contributions. You either take advantage of it or you feel like you are well off enough that you don’t need it.

[@royalsubjects6459]

The most dumb arguements for this are "Everyone can do it." And "it's not cheating cuz it's not breaking any rules." Just because those things are true does not mean it's not a broken system that needs to be fixed.

[@HalfNHalf.]

So be mad at the system then, not Vegas. People are mad at Vegas for taking advantage of a poor system when their team could’ve done it too but didn’t🤷🏼‍♀️

[@royalsubjects6459]

​@@HalfNHalf. You literally just made the dumb argument I said in my comment. AND I literally said its the system that needs fixed.

[@irritant623]

You can enforce the cap rule in the playoffs without paying it out... I'm not sure why anyone would think this isn't the solution

[@shiversneak]

Because the players, owners and the league disagree with you.

[@theefamilyadventures]

The rule is there for a reason and legit but when it starts to get abused then you have to take a look and make changes if needed. Someone always ruins it for everyone.

[@4ezzzzz]

This loophole will be closed when the Canucks use it. Only then

[@KINGPOOPS]

Along with them stripping the Canucks of their cup if they were to win it, and giving the Canucks a penalty against the cap for the next 10 years.

[@schnob92]

It really is lame that teams do this and ultimately let's the teams with the deepest pocket win.

[@AmericanWeather]

Man even as a VGK fan I’m all down for the skepticism. A lot of us don’t like it either, but why propagate the lie that VGK utilized this NHL allowed advantage “3 years in a row” not only did Mark Stone return before the playoffs, but the Knights literally MISSED the playoffs. Im down for judgement on rules but you are actively being biased by propagating literal inaccurate things. I like your channel dude, be better.

[@CunuckHockey]

That's fair criticism, I appreciate it. I misspoke when I said that he returned in the playoffs each time, but I was trying to communicate that the dates of his injuries + returns have been very similar 3 years running. Also, the goal of this video was to suggest that Vegas ISN'T cheating, not that they are. So I'm definitely not trying to spread any propaganda against Vegas haha.

[@Hated_Sien]

@@CunuckHockeyyou realize he had back surgery after the 2021-2022 season ended, then had another back surgery 8 months the later while on LTIR for 2022-2023 right? Feels like you left out those key details by trying to make your point which shows bias of the facts.

[@CunuckHockey]

I very clearly state in the video that I don't question that Stone's injuries have been legitimate at all. I know they're legitimate.

[@liljoe31]

Doesnt the nhl have their own physicians that confirm LTIR injuries? I recall McCrimmon saying that is the case

[@AmericanWeather]

@@CunuckHockey I appreciate you commenting back. Rooting for the Canucks unless they meet VGK. Team has had a stellar season thus far and a bunch of the guys did wonders for me in my fantasy league lol

[@johnsmithson2592]

And who pays for it…..the fans

[@CashMacGregor]

how does the league "verify" the injuries? a league doctor looks at some x rays? reads a team doctor's report? wait till canadian teams start playing the LTIR game. then something will be done.

[@user-so9he2cw1o]

just make it so in the playoff, its the game-time-roster wich must hit the cap and not the team

[@nishd7161]

Sad that the league doesn't care what the fans think when the fans are the ones financing this gong show. The league becoming a competition of who can get the most players on LTIR is a joke.

[@EpicEric2002]

I feel like it is ok when it happens once but for it to be the same player 3 years in a row seems kinda suspicious 😂😊

[@MLMotorsportFinland]

stone should be allowed to come back, but someone else sits... why is there a cap hit if it does not matter when it matters the most 😂

[@gladbuffalo7805]

Not outright cheating, but sanctioned cheating would be the most accurate way of putting it. I think a game day cap would be great. If your playwr is injured, pick up some extra depth incase your stars don't return in time. This way with a game day cap if your stars are fit to play, you can either play your stars, or your extra depth, up to, but never exceeding the cap. Hell this could be better for the league in the long run as well. Maybe you have a $85 mil game day cap, but an over all cap of like $91. You can rotate players to keep them healthier with increased depth for all teams. Making for better hockey (maybe!)

[@rickbick2206]

news flash sanctioned cheating isnt cheating. if everyone is allowed to do something and people start doing it it doesnt make it cheating just cuz some teams are better at it than others. if someone is smarter than you in school are they instantly cheating. no. maybe their just better at that subject. no different here

[@johnsmithson2592]

You know who was also on the ltir? Eichel …..for 2 days until stone got injured lmao

[@austinlindsay7854]

It's easy to fix. If players don't play at least 65 games then they aren't eligible for the playoffs.

[@neilpete8538]

make it easy. if you finish the season on LTIR you don't play the playoffs. simple

[@tbut155]

Ah yes Vegas, where the birds fly upside down because there’s nothing there worth shitting on.

[@liljoe31]

Dont forget to tip your waitresses and dealers. Thanks for playing

[@elinunez7606]

The NHL is a BUSINESS. The owners don't give a mouse's donkey about a "stupid" cup. so just chill, and enjoy the NHL for what it is, an entertainment event.

[@Hated_Sien]

I think your statement is why many teams will never make the playoffs.

[@GoodMenstruationAttitude]

The solution is clear: Stoner needs to give much better press conferences. It's not about competitive balance, it's about picking a player at random to pretend he's injured and the quality of the resulting smug tshirt

[@CunuckHockey]

Are you suggesting that the injuries aren't real? Because like I mentioned in the video, these injuries are independently verified by a third-party physician authorized by the NHL.

[@GoodMenstruationAttitude]

@@CunuckHockey The point is that the system benefits teams for having LTIRs now. The ideal contract in hockey is now $16MM not for CMD, but for a CMD who only plays 25 games a season. Not having any significant injuries now puts you at a competitive disadvantage during the playoffs.

[@ryanjulian4148]

Sure, it's cheating. But it's damn if you do or damn if you don't. Losing a star is crucial to any team. Vagas took a gamble when the Knights missed the playoffs the year they first tried, this year, they had more than 4 players on LITR this season. The way the NHL allowed Vagas to require Herti is another question, was they way they allowed to them place an injury player on LTIR for that trade, and once they got that trade for injured Herti, they placed him on LTIR to activate Eichel. This type of LTIR charade shouldn't be allowed and where the NHL should step in. To allow Vegas to trade for injured player just to change his status upon receiving a player. If tream has a couple bad contracts and use LTIR and if those player became healthy and the team was endanger of missing the playoffs, move the bad contracts to waivers, so what if the get claim, no one wants bad contracts.

[@Hated_Sien]

Vegas only had 3 players on LTIR.

[@mortecai222]

just get rid of the rule, injuries are a part of the game

[@thomasmuller546]

I feel it's legal cheating but with that been said, if the huge majority of teams is not against it, who am I to judge. Still looking forward for Vegas been eliminated by stars or avs or Oilers.

[@marciimeris503]

Raise the salary cap. Boom fixed. Or just get rid of it. Its stupid

[@SMASHtheCAN7410]

At least they’re out now 😂

[@DanoFSmith-yc9tg]

I think if you haven't played a game in the regular season, due to injury, or missed more then 41 games due to injury, you should be ineligible for the first or second round, accordingly to time on Longtime IR

[@DanoFSmith-yc9tg]

This would do 2 things, discourage teams from having convenience injuries, and second reward clubs that keep their players healthy, and encourage training staff and facilities investments, and also may detur masking injuries with drugs for a quick fix, and just get proper treatment when needed.

[@CubeInspector]

​@@DanoFSmith-yc9tg no it wouldn't do either of those things. Its crazy that you're that naive. All it will do is have player playing even more with worse injuries.

[@thepolishprince851]

So many fans complaining. No one realizes Vegas NEVER iced a team last post season over the salary cap and still won the cup and do people not realize injuries need to be investigated by nhl doctors not just team doctors so everyone complains like Vegas did something yet they followed all the rules, Stone was actually injured, and won a championship last year without even being over the salary cap a single game. Oh btw, over 10 teams were over the salary cap this year if they didn’t use LTIR so it’s not just Vegas. People just like to complain

[@cca73127]

Uhhh, you don’t think the NHL are complicit?

[@scotty7591]

If a player is returning from LTIR, the team needs to pay the players they acquired, give them all the bonuses the team will get, including the name on the cup, but they should be ineligible to play if the player returns so that they are cap compliant. If necessary, make a special provision to where they are on the team but ineligible to play so they don’t count towards the cap. Kinda like a separate reserve pool.

[@NewYorkThrasherHockey]

The leagues in on it duh

[@PowerNapp]

If you are still on ltir last game of season then you miss the playoffs, teams stay cap compliant and there's no faking timeline for injury

[@jacobwolf1834]

What it a player ends up being able to come back say round 2 or 3? And they can’t make it back by the start. You want to punish a player for being injured? All if this seems like assuming that stone wasn’t even injured. The more probable reason is, stone probably shouldn’t be back, but came back anyway to help the team. The main concern with a spleen is contact and rupturing it again. Not conditioning and puck handling. And even then, all of this by the media and fans is speculation on both sides of the argument. At the end of the day, the NHL medical staff has cleared it and has ok’d the situation. So people (not necessarily saying you) can complain all they want. The NHL says it’s legit and ok, so there you go. It’ll stay until the teams have a problem with it. Because they don’t care about a fans opinion.

[@rickbick2206]

nobody faked any injury timelines players are allowed to return early if they are willing to risk further injury which 9 times out of 10 in the playoffs players will do because they want to win and be a contributor to the win. as for having teams be cap compliant for playoffs should that change maybe but the league as a whole including every team gm except 1 all agree that it should stay the way it is. Its been voted on in the past and was almost unanimously shut down so theres no real hope for that fever dream. just hope your team gets better at using the cap to their advantage when the opportunity arises

[@PowerNapp]

@@jacobwolf1834 it's just an option not saying it will ever happen. and say Stone shouldn't be playing because he is not 100% and gets seriously hurt because he came back early that falls on him, the team and the doctors. The timeline of Stone being put on ltir and back game 1 for 3 years in a row is what majority of fans are looking at. So fix that maybe by what I said on original post. People complaining but not coming up with any possible solutions, is mine ideal probably not but it is a way to have teams stay cap compliant.

[@jacobwolf1834]

@@PowerNapp I don’t disagree with being upset about it. I was upset when the 2015 Blackhawks did it and won the cup. And that was the first time for me as a fan where I questioned it. But, looking at the rule, and with Tampa doing it as well, it’s how the rule is. The first year, Mark Stone was activated because the season ended. They didn’t even make the playoffs. Last year, there was not a roster iced by Vegas that was over the cap. The roster may have been over, but all the guys playing and actually making a difference, never went over the cap. This year, they barely made it by 3 games. As a former competitive athlete, no one is going to just sit out to hope their team can make it to the playoffs. Especially with how close the race was. You see how well the team is doing now. Why wouldn’t he do that during regular season? I feel as fans, many of us view the league as a video game, and not as real people with emotions. Could stone maybe have come back a little earlier? Perhaps, or if it happened at the beginning of the season, he maybe have been out longer. Who knows. The point is, it’s all speculation which holds ZERO weight in any argument. All anyone can do is trust that the NHL medical staff keep it legit. They’re involved every step of the way. And if they say it’s legit, then it is. Plain and simple.

[@VOLUMEnightclub]

Just make them miss 1st round

[@lakesidehog9525]

It can’t be suspicious… nobody is hiding it… laughable at best… until the rules change… quit whining…. Deal with it

[@restoredaccess]

This should actually be good news for Canadian teams. Instead of playing victims, they can use the opportunity to exploit the same loophole. The owners of the Cdn teams are NOT poor, and the organizations take in huge revenues. Canadian teams charge ticket prices and concession/beer prices nobody in the States would ever pay, and they pack the arenas, unlike in the States. In case anyone thinks the beer and concession revenue goes to the arena and not the team, it’s all tied in. They have the money.

[@Hated_Sien]

They are. Toronto is the would be the team the most over the cap if there was a cap during the playoffs.

[@agirotto1]

This is just dishonest.

[@NetRx_]

Just enforce the cap in the playoffs too lol. Simple.

[@redhunter68]

If you watched the video all the way through you'd see why they likely won't.

[@Wilsontripplets]

I would be for a playoff cap but increase it by 10 mil or something.

[@christsang76]

Noh

[@CunuckHockey]

I did it for the Rock

[@chrissarahhowells1844]

closing this loophole is simple all ltir players must be seen by a league medical 14 day prior to the last game. if not medically cleared at this point, they are not eligible for the playoffs. otherwise they count against the cap. Done deal totally transparent for the fans and eliminates all this talk

[@Mike-zf4xg]

tHEy AreNT BReaKIng rULes. silly you should have to field a team through play offs that adheres to the cap or just remove the cap completely

[@biffstrong1079]

People have agreed to a set of rules. Everyone has the same opportunity. That is easy to fix. Make them live with a Hard Cap each game in the playoffs. But Honestly the Golden Knights are playing, right now with an 84.5$ million roster. Stop whining and beat them.

[@Mike-zf4xg]

benefits all non-canadian teams because nobody wants to play in canada, ha

[@tysonbrooks1992]

5:54 is just untrue. During the 21’-22’ season, Mark Stone was activated during the REGULAR season. They even missed the playoffs that year. Complain all you want about the rules and him coming back in game 1, 2 years in a row, but it’s the league, at least they’re not shoving it in the faces of other NHL franchises with a shirt that says 18M over the cap.

[@CunuckHockey]

You're right about the '21-'22 season, I misspoke. Thanks for the correction!

[@ESchneider702]

They didn’t make the playoffs 3 years ago 😂

[@bavier6355]

Cap circumcision at its finest!

[@CunuckHockey]

I hate when my cap gets circumcised 😖