Cap increase in NHL

The NHL salary cap is expected to rise to about $71 million next season, an increase of more than 10 percent. NHL commissioner Gary Bettman made the optimistic announcement Monday at the league’s board of governors meeting in Pebble Beach, Calif. The ceiling of the salary cap is determined by hockey-related revenue generated this season, so the new figure is merely an estimate, Bettman said. The minimum amount for teams to spend is expected to be about $52 million, an increase from this season’s $44 million. The NHL has had a major recovery one season after the lockout-shortened campaign. The upper cap for this season is $64.3 million. – AP