In the NHL, the league has been using a flattened salary cap for three years while claiming financial constraints.
However, instead of finding ways to increase the cap and attract new ownership, the focus has been on unpopular advertisements on helmets, jerseys, and digital boards. Despite the league's increased revenue and players bearing the escrow debt, the salary cap will only increase by $1 million next season according to Gary Bettman.
It was stated that it would be going up $3-4M...
The NHL's sponsorship revenue reached $623 million in 2021-2022 and is expected to double this season. The question remains why the owners and Bettman continue to claim financial difficulties.