2006-2007 NHL (league) average salary

[LadyStanley]

Does anyone know what this season's average salary (league-wide) is?

(I'm asking as it affects Group V free agents.)

IIRC, last season's average was about $1.4m.

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[kdb209]

Does anyone know what this season's average salary (league-wide) is?

(I'm asking as it affects Group V free agents.)

If I recall correctly, last season's average was about $1.4m.

Group V UFA's have pretty much ceased to exist. With the lowered Group III UFA age it is virtually impossible to meet the criteria of 10 professional seasons without also hitting Group III UFA age.

Last years list of free agents shows zero Group V UFAs (when the Group III UFA age was 29):

http://www.nhl.com/features/insider/freelist06.html

I used to use the NHL's official Free Agent list as my source for "official" Leage Average Salary, but it no longer lists it - lacking any Group V's there's no need. I haven't seen any other official number.

With the UFA age dropping to 28 this off season and 27 the next, Group V UFAs have been relegated to the trashbin of history.

The Average League Salary still has meaning in the CBA. Year to year percentage growth of Average League Salary is still used to index the compensation levels for Group II RFAs and to index the award threshold for arbitration walk away rights.

 

[Ted Hoffman]

As a side note, I did a check on the latest file I have and sorted guys by age and years of pro experience. There is no one who has 10 years of pro experience according to the NHL and whose contract expires at the end of the 2006-07 season that I do not already have listed as a UFA on my spreadsheets.

As kdb said, after 2007-08 Group V free agent status will cease to exist because no one will be able to qualify.