So according to Bettman, as of July 1 none of these players will have any connection to the NHL, and the NHL will not make any further comments until after the trial, which likely won’t be until 2026.
Bettman’s going to take heat for basically sweeping this under the rug, but I’m not sure there’s much more the NHL could have done or should do. As far as the NHL knew, the cops ended the investigation several years ago, and when the NHL learned the cops reopened it in 2022, they cooperated and ran a yearlong investigation themselves. They kept their investigation private, and will keep their findings private, until after the trial, which is arguably the right thing to do legally. They’re lucky that all four NHL players’ RFA rights will expire on July 1, allowing the NHL to basically punt on the situation without taking action or commenting.
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So according to Bettman, as of July 1 none of these players will have any connection to the NHL, and the NHL will not make any further comments until after the trial, which likely won’t be until 2026.
Bettman’s going to take heat for basically sweeping this under the rug, but I’m not sure there’s much more the NHL could have done or should do. As far as the NHL knew, the cops ended the investigation several years ago, and when the NHL learned the cops reopened it in 2022, they cooperated and ran a yearlong investigation themselves. They kept their investigation private, and will keep their findings private, until after the trial, which is arguably the right thing to do legally. They’re lucky that all four NHL players’ RFA rights will expire on July 1, allowing the NHL to basically punt on the situation without taking action or commenting.