[News] Flyers' Pronger hired to work for NHL Player Safety Department - Calgarypuck Forums - The Unofficial Calgary Flames Fan Community

Finger Cookin · 10-09-2014, 05:18 PM

Quote:

Pronger - who has not played an NHL game since the 2011-12 season - remains on Philadelphia's long-term injured reserve. He has not formally retired.
Since Pronger was over the age of 35 when he signed his last contract with the Flyers - which is worth an average annual value of $4.9 million through the end of the 2016-17 season - his annual average would go against the Flyers' salary cap obligations. This situation has been avoided over the past two-plus seasons by virtue of the injured reserve.
NHLPA spokesperson Jonathan Weatherdon told McKenzie on Wednesday that "the league contacted the NHLPA about this matter yesterday and our discussions with them are ongoing. We are working to get this matter resolved in a timely manner."
NHL Commisioner Gary Bettman said Wednesday he had no problem with Pronger working with the Department of Player Safety despite his ties to the Flyers.

http://www.tsn.ca/flyers-pronger-hir...tment-1.103310

Finger Cookin · 10-09-2014, 05:19 PM

There needs to be some kind of cap hit out of this on Philly IMO.

Yanda · 10-09-2014, 06:06 PM

This is stupid. Its cap Circumvention at its finest. Hes either a player or hes retired.. its bull that he can work FOR the NHL while being a player on LTIR forever. Either he retires and walks away from his money or he stays on LTIR and waits until hes healthy to play. The fact that Gary Bettman and the rest of the NHL are alright with looking the other way is stupid. Especially if the NHL wouldnt have helped the flames in the O'Rielly signing had it gone through. Just insane bias

MrMastodonFarm · 10-09-2014, 06:21 PM

Pronger = Safety?

Oh dear.

burn_this_city · 10-09-2014, 06:22 PM

I guess Scott Stevens wasn't available.

Arya Stark · 10-09-2014, 06:23 PM

Neither was Matt Cooke.

Jacks · 10-09-2014, 06:57 PM

I feel the opposite of others. There should be some sort of an exemption for a 35+ player who is legitimately injured so bad their career is over. Not sure how you could stop that from becoming a loophole, maybe have multiple independent doctors concur.

Same with Savard, there should be some way of buying out a player who is permanently injured.

jar_e · 10-09-2014, 07:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Finger Cookin

There needs to be some kind of cap hit out of this on Philly IMO.

Why? The NHL approached Pronger, well knowing the CBA, and are working on rectifying it. This is the NHL's decision, not on Philly.

pseudoreality · 10-09-2014, 07:31 PM

Mister "the laws of physics dictate I must elbow people in the head" is going to work for player safety?

billybob123 · 10-09-2014, 08:25 PM

Maybe it's like how some of the best referees and linesmen were cheapshotters and goons in their playing days? He knows how players are lying about not trying to kill people because he did it himself?

How will this guy try to keep a straight face when he suspends someone? "Yes, you're being suspended for 10 games for elbowing someone and trying to hurt them. I know I did the same thing twice in the same playoffs and I only got one game each, but that was different."

Can't stand this guy. I think I'll dislike him even more now that he's doing this.

BACKCHECK!!! · 10-09-2014, 08:42 PM

This is just straight-up bizarro world stuff.

Cats and dogs living together.

Chris Pronger something something player safety, and the "something something" ISN'T "grossly endangering".

I don't even know what to think any more.

Slava · 10-09-2014, 09:27 PM

This is brutal. How can you have a player on the payroll of a team in charge of handing down suspensions? How can there not be a perceived conflict of interest there?

Robbob · 10-09-2014, 10:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MrMastodonFarm

Pronger = Safety?

Oh dear.

he does have a vast library of video of things he has done that could be field as unsafe.

pronger - "you see how right there I stomp on the forward with my skate? Yeah, not safe. Next clip please"

albertGQ · 10-09-2014, 10:46 PM

@FriedgeHNIC: 1) Interesting note on Pronger: he will be eligible to stay on LTIR, but sounds like PHI may (per @tpanotchCSN) put him on non-roster IR.

@FriedgeHNIC: 2) The basic difference is it means his salary would count against the cap. (Same as Rich Peverley in DAL). We'll find out tomorrow.

Why would the Flyers do this since they're a cap team? I'm cornfused.

pylon · 10-09-2014, 11:09 PM

And in other news, Captain Morgan has been named president of MADD.

Finger Cookin · 10-09-2014, 11:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jar_e

Why? The NHL approached Pronger, well knowing the CBA, and are working on rectifying it. This is the NHL's decision, not on Philly.

He hasn't officially retired because he signed the contract +35. He's been on LTIR so the Flyers get cap relief. If he's taken a non-playing job with the NHL, he's clearly retired as a player.

Northendzone · 10-10-2014, 07:59 AM

the fox is now guarding the henhouse

Resolute 14 · 10-10-2014, 08:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jacks

I feel the opposite of others. There should be some sort of an exemption for a 35+ player who is legitimately injured so bad their career is over. Not sure how you could stop that from becoming a loophole, maybe have multiple independent doctors concur.

No. In fact, the NHL put in rules that were meant to explicitly stop teams from handing out super large contracts to old players with a high risk of not completing their deals. The Flyers knew the rules, they took the risk, and they got burned. But that is what LTIR is for.

My problem with this hire, beyond the obvious league-enabled cap circumvention is that former players or insiders should never be anywhere near disciplinary decisions. The fact that Pronger will recuse from any situation involving the Flyers simply isn't good enough. As noted by the guys on Sportsnet last night, he can still influence the Flyers chances through decisions made with other division and conference teams.

League discipline should always be handled by someone with no ties to any teams, past or present.

Volica · 10-10-2014, 08:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MrMastodonFarm

Pronger = Safety?

Oh dear.

"It's just a flying elbow at full speed boys, nothing to see here, open and shut case." Said Mr. Pronger reviewing an incident.

They should just hire Scotty Stevens along with him; make it so you literally have to murder someone with your skate to get a few games.

Resolute 14 · 10-10-2014, 08:35 AM

A little Pronger history:

http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/playof...ory?id=2891998

This is honestly one of the more ethically challenged things the league has done, on many levels.