At the start of July, 44 NHL players filed for salary arbitration.
For those of who aren’t familiar with what salary arbitration is and how to process works, here’s a quick rundown.
Salary arbitration, in simple terms, is a way to resolve contract disputes. Both sides of the dispute—the player and the team—submit a proposed salary for the upcoming NHL season and argue their reasoning for this salary at an arbitration hearing. Then the arbitrator, an unbiased third party, decides the player’s salary.
Typically players will file for salary arbitration, but sometimes teams will as well—keep in mind, teams must file for arbitration within 48 hours of the Stanley Cup Final.
Last season 30 players filed for salary arbitration, however, 29 of them managed to settle their contract disputes before the hearing date. The only player who did not was Nate Schmidt of the Vegas Golden Knights. Schmidt was awarded a two-year, $4.5 million deal after his arbitration hearing.
So far, five of the 44 players who filed for arbitration are still planning to go through with their court hearings, including William Karlsson of the Vegas Golden Knights and Mark Stone of the Ottawa Senators. Some players who managed to settle their contract disputes prior to the hearing date include former Bruins players Ryan Spooner and Colin Miller.
No Bruins players filed for salary arbitration for the upcoming season.
