Gary Bettman And The NHL Threatens The Boston Bruins Along With Every Other Team In The NHL

PUBLICATION

Austin Sabourin
December 1, 2024 (8:04 PM)

SHARE THIS STORY

Gary Bettmas has threatened the Boston Bruins including every other NHL team about harsh penalties they will face if they are caught tampering.

Gary Bettman appears to be aware of an issue that is ongoing within the NHL, and has threatened to penalize any team that is caught breaking these rule in the future.

A memo was sent out last week to the league and it's members teams that warned them if they were to be caught breaking the tampering rules set in place that they are going to face some harsh penalties.

It's not a secret that in the past teams and players have found ways around the league's tampering rules, a big example of this is that it seems like every big free agent seems to already have a deal in place by the time free agency opens on July 1st, and fans have become aware of this.

Saturday night, Elliotte Friedman broke down just how harsh these penalties could be if a team is caught breaking these rules.

"They warned about not only players but team's employees like coaches and managers and other people who worked in the front office," said Friedman on Hockey Night in Canada.

This year the league saw a lot of players announce signings exactly at noon when free agency begins on July 1st, and it seems like this played a massive role in the NHL cracking down on the tampering rules.

"They didn't like how July 1st went," said Friedman.

Here is a breakdown of the penalties the Bruins or any other team can face if they or a player is caught tampering:

Teams:
A fine of up to $5 million.
Termination of any contracts signed.
Forfeiture of draft picks.
Awarding draft picks and/or cash to the "offended" club.

Individuals:
A fine of up to $1 million.
Suspension or expulsion from the NHL.

With the league sending this memo out they are basically warning players around the league and every NHL team that if they are caught, they will face some harsh punishments. The NHL is definitely going to be looking to set an example after sending out warnings like this, and it will be interesting to see if any team or players try to break these rules after being warned by the league.