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NHL draws its highest revenues ever in 2021-22, but it won't impact the salary cap

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Mike Armenti
June 16, 2022 (2:15 PM)

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According to everyone's least favourite NHL executive, Commissioner Gary Bettman, the NHL will generate record-setting revenues for 2021-22, which should reach over $5.2B by the time all is said and done. Considering how the game has been impacted by COVID-19 in 2020 and 2021, that's certainly an impressive number in the league's first 82-game season back.

While there was a lot of hope that this increase in revenue would mean a sizable increase in the salary cap for the 2022-23 season and beyond, Bettman was quick to pour water on the idea before it had the opportunity to catch fire, revealing that it would be 2-3 years yet before the debts are paid back to the owners.

The main focus of Bettman's statements on the health of the league following the pandemic appeared to be about how the league was able to persevere and "stabilize the business".

"Our buildings are back to basically where they were [with attendance], and maybe a little better. Our playoffs this year, the first two rounds generated 88% of the revenues that we did in the first two rounds the last time we had normal playoffs [in 2019]. We continued to put on NHL hockey under the most difficult of times. We were able to stabilize the business and power through."

Bettman on the league pushing through the pain during the pandemic and coming out stronger on the other side

Bettman believes that the league was just overall more exciting this season, due in large to an increase in scoring. The interest is up in the game, and while some of that is certainly due to the new markets being targeted with the ESPN and NHL on TNT coverage, Bettman says more goals has meant more fans.

"I think it's correlated to increased interest in the game. Everything we do is only important to the extent that the game is healthy on the ice. And the game is healthy on the ice. Our competitive balance is unmatched by any of the other major leagues, and it gives us incredible races in the regular season, and it gives us playoffs that are as unpredictable as anything you can say."

-Bettman on an increase in scoring impacting how the game is being received by viewers

Hopefully the league can keep generating this types of numbers in terms of revenues, not only because of the salary cap implications, but also because more money can only lend to the overall growth of the game and the production and entertainment value of its events.

Previously on MapleLeafsDaily

Avs head coach Jared Bednar admits to watching a lot of the Leafs/Bolts series, says Avs and Leafs are a lot alike

Brayden Point unavailable for post game comments, went straight to the room to see medical team

Leafs add defensive depth, sign a pair of prospects to AHL deals

POLL
16 JUIN \| 126 ANSWERS NHL draws its highest revenues ever in 2021-22, but it won't impact the salary cap Will the NHL exceed $5.2B next season?
Yes	72	57.1 %
No	24	19 %
Not with this type of officiating	30	23.8 %
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