NHL probing Flyers' deal with Pronger
President and Chief Operating Officer of Comcast-Spectacor Peter Luukko, left, Paul Holmgren, Philadelphia Flyers' General Manager, center, left, and Comcast-Spectacor Chairman Ed Snider, right, present Chris Pronger, the team's new defenseman, with a jersey at the end of a press conference where he was introduced, Monday, July 6, 2009, in Voorhees, N.J.
Alyssa Cwanger / Staff Photographer
Philadelphia Daily News
The NHL is investigating the negotiations between the Flyers and defenseman Chris Pronger that led to Pronger's 7-year, $34.5 million contract extension, a league spokesman confirmed yesterday.
The league also is looking into Marian Hossa's 12-year, $62.8 million contract with the Chicago Blackhawks, the spokesman said.
ESPN.com reported the league is concerned that front-loaded contracts for older players are being used to potentially circumvent the salary cap. If the teams are found to have violated the collective bargaining agreement, they could face fines, the loss of draft picks, or both.
The league also is examining whether there were conversations with the players about a timeline for their retirement during negotiations, the report said.
"We are looking into the circumstances surrounding the negotiation of the Hossa and Pronger contracts, to ensure those negotiations were compliant with the CBA," NHL spokesman Frank Brown said in an e-mail to the Daily News. "We are not commenting beyond that, pending completion of the investigations."
According to the report, Pronger, who will turn 35 before the extension begins next summer, is scheduled to make $7.6 million, $7.6 million, $7.2 million and $7 million in the first 4 years, $4 million in the fifth year and $525,000 in each of the final 2 years. The salary-cap hit averages a little less than $5 million per year.
Pronger was acquired in a trade with Anaheim on draft day.
Comcast-Spectacor president Peter Luukko said in a statement that the Flyers are confident in their handling of the contract.
"We firmly believe that we have complied with the CBA in every respect," he said. "We understand why the league would investigate a contract like this one, but again we are confident that we handled this one properly.
"We will refrain from discussing any particulars of the investigation as well as the contents of the contract."
