Insider reveals NHL executives are scared of Bettman for this reason

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Sam Walker
December 14, 2022 (12:40)

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For the past couple of seasons many team's General Managers around the NHL were hoping for a significant increase to the salary cap. This past off season Sportsnet's Hockey Insider Elliotte Friedman would reveal that he believed the salary cap would go up substantially next season to the delight of many teams.

Unfortunately things have changed after the NHL Board of Governors meeting , everyone's favorite NHL Commissioner Garry Bettman would share some very disappointing news today.

Gary Bettman says #NHL is now projecting a $70m remaining escrow balance at the end of the season, which would result in the salary cap rising just $1 million this summer to $83.5 million.

Not willing to say now whether a negotiation with #NHLPA for larger increase is possible.

While this is bad news, other NHL exceuctives decided to take the press conference into different categories, on a potential playoff expansion- but Sportsnets Elliotte Friedman reveals many NHL employees love the idea, but are scared to get on Bettman's bad side of it, as Bettman ''hates'' the idea.

Friedman on TJMS says Bettman hates the idea of expanded payoffs, says there is no appetite for it, a lot of the executives don't want to get on Bettman's bad side so they don't bring it up, but it's pretty clear they'd love to see it, it would raise more revenue.