The league rejected the Kovalchuk deal, and the Devils aren’t terribly happy about it.
On Wednesday the league released this statement about the contract. “The contract has been rejected by the League as a circumvention of the Collective Bargaining Agreement. Under the CBA, the contract rejection triggers a number of possible next steps that may be elected by any or each of the NHLPA, the Player and/or the Club. In the interim, the player is not entitled to play under the contract, nor is he entitled to any of the rights and benefits that are provided for thereunder. The League will have no further comment on this matter pending further developments.”
New Jersey Devils GM Lou Lamoriello had this as a reply, “We are extremely disappointed that the NHL has decided to reject the contract of Ilya Kovalchuk. The contract complies with the terms of the Collective Bargaining Agreement. We will have no further comment until the process outlined in the CBA is complete.”
The most likely situation now is that the NHL Players Association will file a grievance on behalf of Kovalchuk which would send the sides to arbitration.
