The International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) has been negotiating with the NHL on behalf of the European clubs for nearly 18 months to increase the pay-off for players that cross the Atlantic to pursue their careers. The previous deal had seen the IIHF receive only £4.5m ($6.18m) a year from the NHL.
The new agreement estimates that around 70 players will leave Europe to compete in the US in the first year of the contract with a further 60 players uprooting in each of the next two seasons. Should the NHL sign up more than the allotted figures then the IIHF is within its rights to renegotiate for further compensation.
IIHF president Rene Fasel commented: “The agreement proves that there is mutual respect between the parties. The NHL definitely shows that they value European ice hockey and respect the fact that we have provided 280 of all NHL players in the season just past.”
Prior to the conclusion of these lengthy negotiations, some European clubs had called for NHL players to be banned from the Olympics and World Championships unless a substantial increase in compensatory fees was agreed.
The National Hockey League (NHL) has agreed to pay European ice hockey clubs an increased compensation fee of £21m ($28.8m) over the next three years for players who are poached to play in the US.
