Today is December 10, 2021. Here is the latest news sweeping the media around the NHL.
Gary Bettman insists the Coyotes are staying in Arizona
Gary Bettman has came forward and said that the Arizona Coyotes are not going anywhere. This is amid reports that the Coyotes owe the city of Glendale upwards of $1.3M in unpaid taxes and faced a lockout if they hadn't paid their dues on time.
Today, Bettman said "there are no issues with the Arizona Coyotes."
In a statement to The Athletic, the Coyotes said by Thursday morning they would be "current on all of our bills and owe no state or local taxes whatsoever."
Glendale city manager Kevin Phelps told The Athletic: "If Mr. Bettman and others want to believe that not filing 17 monthly tax returns is due to human error, then so be it."
Olympics decision will be 'day-to-day'
Gary Bettman has said "a whole host of issues" are causing concerns for the NHL in sending its players to compete in the 2022 Beijing Olympics in February.
There is still no clarity on what will happen if a player is to test positive from COVID-19 while in China, the length of travel quarantine and if the player will be allowed to leave the country.
Bill Daly, deputy commissioner, has stated that the NHL can forfeit from the games at any point due to safety concerns with COVID-19. The latest athlete Playbook document for the 2022 Olympics has yet to be released.
January 10th is the deadline to forfeit the games without receiving a penalty.
New York Rangers now NHL's most valuable Franchise
The latest Forbes evaluation of NHL teams has priced the New York Rangers at an astonishing $2 Billion Dollars, making them the leagues first $2 Billion team and most expensive team in 2021-22.
The Toronto Maple Leafs (1.8B) and Montreal Canadiens (1.6B) take the 2nd and 3rd spots. While the Arizona Coyotes are the least valuable at a grim $400M price tag.
Forbes forecasts that everything else is trending in the right direction despite a drop in sales due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Canucks hire Jim Rutherford as interim GM
Veteran NHL executive Jim Rutherford is the newest president of hockey operations for the Vancouver Canucks. He is also taking on the role as General Manager for the team while they search for a permanent replacement of former GM Jim Benning.
Rutherford has signed a three-year deal with Vancouver. In his career as a General Manager, he has led his teams to three Stanley Cups (2006, 2016 and 2017). Once with Carolina and twice with Pittsburgh.
"It is an honour to join the Vancouver Canucks and to lead an NHL team in Canada," said Rutherford. "I would like to thank Francesco and the Aquilini family for the opportunity. The Canucks have an exciting young group of players, and I look forward to building a plan that will take this team to the next level and excite Canucks fans everywhere."
Rutherford is 72-years-old and is ready to help the Vancouver Canucks become a successful franchise.
Penguins Jake Guentzel 'week-to-week' with an upper-body injury
Jake Guentzel currently leads all Penguins forwards in goals scored and points. He was in the middle of a league-high 13-game point streak before being sidelined with an injury. The forward did not practice with the team on Wednesday.
Jake has 27 points (15 Goals, 12 Assists) in 24 games in an injury riddled season for the Penguins so far.
NHL projecting $5 Billion in revenue
If this projection comes true, the NHL revenue will be above pre-pandemic levels.
The salary cap is now expected to go up $1 Million next season.
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