The schedule for the arbitration hearings will be determined on Tuesday. I wasn't sure how this was done, so I looked it up:
Quote:
After the NHL and NHLPA have compiled the Player List, salary arbitrations shall be scheduled as follows:
(i) The NHL and NHLPA shall flip a coin to determine which party shall begin the process set forth in subsection (ii) below.
(ii) The party winning the coin-flip set forth in subsection (i) above shall select a Player from the Player List and shall assign such Player to a particular Salary Arbitrator on one of such Salary Arbitrator's available dates, as indicated on the Salary Arbitration Calendar. The other party will then follow the same process until every Player on the Player List for whom Central Registry has not yet received an executed SPC has been assigned a hearing date and a Salary Arbitrator. Once so assigned, a Player's hearing date and Salary Arbitrator may not thereafter be changed without the mutual consent of the NHL and the NHLPA.
(iii) The only restrictions on a party's ability to assign a Player to a particular Salary Arbitrator on one of such Salary Arbitrator's available dates, as indicated on the Salary Arbitration Calendar, shall be as follows: No Player shall be assigned a hearing date if it would result in: (x) a Club having more than one (1) salary arbitration on such date; (y) a Certified Agent having two (2) Players for whom such Certified Agent is listed as the Primary Certified Agent on the Certified Agent List, scheduled to have their salary arbitrations on the same date; or (z) a Salary Arbitrator being assigned more than one (1) salary arbitration per day, provided, this restriction in (z) will not apply in the event there are more than fifty-six (56) Players for whom hearing dates must be scheduled, in which case every available date for all Salary Arbitrators must first be utilized before any Salary Arbitrator may be assigned a second salary arbitration on a particular day.
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I wonder if the preference is for the higher-profile cases to go earlier or later? Also, do the players and league have different preferences for dates, or do they only care about who the arbitrator is?
You'd think the Flames would want the Tkachuk hearing to be their first, so they can know where things stand before negotiating with the other players.
People have said this buys them an extra three weeks, but it could be as early as next Wednesday.