- Gary Bettman says players have pushed no-trade clauses past what they were built for
- The commissioner left the door open to taking the issue to the NHLPA
- Read below for Bettman’s full comments and video from his Sportsnet interview
Gary Bettman doesn’t like where no-trade clauses have ended up.
The NHL commissioner joined Matt Marchese and Mike Futa on Sportsnet’s The FAN Hockey Show on Thursday and was asked about the stars who forced their way out this offseason. His answer was blunt.
“The no-trade clause was originally put in place for the following situation: you’re going to sign a long-term contract to be in a place you want to be,” Bettman said. “Maybe you’re giving a hometown discount, and you want to make sure you can be where you wanted to be and where you signed up to be. This notion now, where A) you can select where you want to go to, and B) you can demand a trade, that was never the original intention.”
Watch Bettman’s comments on the show:
He also called the trend bad for everybody involved.
“I don’t think that’s a good thing,” Bettman said. “I don’t think it’s good for the player, I don’t think it’s good for the club, and I don’t think it’s good for fans watching and their connection to the game.”
That second part is what stuck with us. The clauses were built to protect a player who wanted to stay put, not to let him demand a trade and then pick his landing spot:
The examples aren’t hard to find. Brady Tkachuk had full trade protection in Ottawa and still steered his way to Florida in June to play with his brother Matthew.
Dylan Larkin asked out of Detroit with five years left on his deal and handed the Red Wings a four-team list. Connor Hellebuyck went even further, skipping Jets camp and getting suspended while he waits on a move.
Nothing is changing yet. Bettman said the league is going to keep an eye on it, and he explained when it would become a conversation with the union.
“I don’t think one off-season a problem makes, but if it becomes a problem, it’s something we are going to have to discuss with the players association,” he said.
That fits with what deputy commissioner Bill Daly said in September. Daly didn’t expect trade requests to be addressed before the next CBA in 2030. The current deal took effect in September with no changes to trade clauses.
Bettman was also asked whether Canadian teams are at a disadvantage, since several of these requests came out of Canadian markets. He said it cuts both ways.
“Yes, in some jurisdictions, the taxes may be higher in Canada, but by the same token, players get paid U.S. dollars when they play in Canada, and there is economic benefit to that,” Bettman said. “I think it’s more case-by-case and what suits the individual needs. Brady Tkachuk wanted to play with his brother. Those things happen.”
Larkin and Hellebuyck are both still waiting on trades as the season opens. If either standoff drags on, Bettman’s one offseason could turn into two pretty quickly.
