Players see the amount of money to be made in the industry. It is less obvious in the NHL than in baseball or football where large TV contracts and ad revenues bloat the bottom lines of the teams, but players should arguably have the ability to market their wares to the highest bidder. Free agency then bloated the salary costs of many teams.

The bloated salary line item necessitated the salary cap. With free agency, but without a cap, the largest market teams (I’m looking at you, Rangers and Wings) would simply buy the best talent available, creating a divide in the league of haves and have-nots. This makes for boring, repititious playoffs.

The salary cap requires teams, on occassion, to cut good quality workman-like players that the team would dearly love to keep. It’s too bad, but it’s the price we pay to ensure players aren’t treated like surfs owned by the team.

Take care Clemmers. I hope you get a big pay-day out of this adventure.

I know it may seem as if he was forgotten about in this article, but Weekesy came up huge when he was called upon and has had just as much to do with the teams position in the standings as Clemmensen has.

I bow to you both!!