CBA Question - Fringe Benefits

[Synergy27]

Does the CBA place a limitation on "fringe benefits" for players? I've for years been stuck on the fact that cost of living varies so greatly from city to city that it just isn't fair for the cap to not be at least adjusted to account for it. New York Rangers (yes, my favorite team) have to pay insane prices for apartments in NYC, and while I'm sure a lot of players are more than willing to do so because of the accompanying lifestyle, there have to be many that would rather live in the burbs or a rural area if given the choice.

So I was wondering, is a team allowed to pay for a player's housing? We already know that they pay for transportation costs and food on road trips and what not. But, can a cap strapped (not cash strapped) team offer a guy a sweet penthouse apartment and say, a Tesla Model S in lieu of an extra $1M/yr on his contract?

 

[kdb209]

Nope.

A player is prohibited from receiving anything of value from a Club or Club Affiliated Entity other than the salary and bonuses specified in his SPC and any benefits explicitly provided for in the CBA.

(e) No Club or Club Actor may provide, directly or indirectly, any Player or Player
Actor, with anything of value from a Club or Club Actor other than his Player Salary and
Bonuses set forth in, and in accordance with the terms of, his SPC, and his share of Benefits and
Government Mandates/Other Programs, as set forth in this Agreement or as otherwise expressly
permitted by this Agreement. A Player or Player Actor may not receive, directly or indirectly,
anything of value from a Club or Club Actor other than his Player Salary and Bonuses set forth
in, and in accordance with the terms of, his SPC, and his share of Benefits and Government
Mandates/Other Programs as set forth in this Agreement or as otherwise expressly permitted by
this Agreement. Notwithstanding the fact that a Player must disgorge anything of value he may
have received in violation of the prior sentence, a Player shall not be guilty of a Circumvention
in the absence of knowledge that the entity from which he received something of value, was a
Club Actor. No Club or Club Actor or Player or Player Actor may engage in any conduct that is
intended to pay or provide, or has the effect of, paying or providing to a Player, anything of
value other than that which the Player may properly receive through his SPC, and his share of
Benefits and Government Mandates/Other Programs, or as otherwise expressly permitted by this
Agreement. For example, a Player is prohibited from entering into an agreement with a
broadcasting company that is a Club Affiliated Entity, in which the Player agrees to host a
weekly television show, for which he is to be compensated the fair market value of such services,
as this would be something of value other than which the Player may properly receive through
his SPC, or his share of Benefits and Government Mandates/Other Programs, or as otherwise
expressly permitted by this Agreement.

 

[Buck Aki Berg]

Peripherally related, but how involved is the team in finding accommodations for players after a trade or signing? I can't imagine there'd be a lot of time for players to look at a dozen houses and read up on which neighbourhoods have the best schools, particularly if the change of address happens mid-season. Do teams have someone on staff to take care of (or at least help with) that sort of thing?

 

[seanlinden]

Peripherally related, but how involved is the team in finding accommodations for players after a trade or signing? I can't imagine there'd be a lot of time for players to look at a dozen houses and read up on which neighbourhoods have the best schools, particularly if the change of address happens mid-season. Do teams have someone on staff to take care of (or at least help with) that sort of thing?

Players who get traded mid-season generally get put up in hotels. I'd imagine the team has a logistics person (same person that manages road trips) who is more than willing and able to set them up in a hotel or executive rentals.

If you think about players with a family, it's doubtful that the family would move with that player right away.

 

[Tekneek]

Per the CBA, the team must provide a minimum of up to 21 days of housing for newly acquired players (as I recall). They may provide more than that. They also must provide up to 6 months of rent consideration related to the transaction (they probably still need to pay for housing in their previous city). Those portions of the CBA were an interesting read.

 

[PSGJ]

If I was an investigative journalist I might look into how the wives of NHL players got their new jobs when the couple moved to a new city. Wouldn't be surprised at all if this was an area where there was some slight cba skirting. The NHL team gave nothing of value to the player, but maybe the owner of the team called one of his billionaire buddies and put a good word in for the wife of his newly acquired player.

Or maybe an owner has called another of his influential friends and made sure that the kid of one his players got into a desired university.

Wouldn't be surprised at all if this kind of thing was happning.

 

[Fugu]

If I was an investigative journalist I might look into how the wives of NHL players got their new jobs when the couple moved to a new city. Wouldn't be surprised at all if this was an area where there was some slight cba skirting. The NHL team gave nothing of value to the player, but maybe the owner of the team called one of his billionaire buddies and put a good word in for the wife of his newly acquired player.

Or maybe an owner has called another of his influential friends and made sure that the kid of one his players got into a desired university.

Wouldn't be surprised at all if this kind of thing was happning.

You're assuming that many of them work, or are career women. That's not necessarily an assumption I'd make, though you do get the occasional one with modeling or acting aspirations.

 

[Tekneek]

You're assuming that many of them work, or are career women. That's not necessarily an assumption I'd make, though you do get the occasional one with modeling or acting aspirations.

That sounds an awful lot like you are playing into stereotypes there. I cannot say there aren't any, but of the dozen or so I have encountered they certainly don't play into that. The weird thing is those types of wives are the ones I most often find with guys stuck in the minors, for some reason. The NHL wives I've met seemed pretty intelligent and intent to pursue their own professional business goals (as well as dedicated moms). They weren't the modeling type.

 

[Fugu]

That sounds an awful lot like you are playing into stereotypes there. I cannot say there aren't any, but of the dozen or so I have encountered they certainly don't play into that. The weird thing is those types of wives are the ones I most often find with guys stuck in the minors, for some reason. The NHL wives I've met seemed pretty intelligent and intent to pursue their own professional business goals (as well as dedicated moms). They weren't the modeling type.

I admit it's a stereotype, but I have rarely seen cases where the trailing spouse had career considerations.

Regarding the wives who stay home and raise the kids, I'm sure there's a good portion of women who do, but that is outside the post I quoted where he asked if the wives were getting setting up with jobs via the owner network.

What are some examples in your experience?

 

[Tekneek]

What are some examples in your experience?

I would not know of any being set up with jobs by team owners, but I have known others that were gainfully employed. A good current example is Jenny Scrivens, wife of Ben Scrivens. She is Communications Manager for Ronald McDonald House Northern Alberta, and has held other positions in other cities that her husband's career has taken her to. This all might change when/if they have children, but she isn't just sitting back and spending the money.

 

[tsanuri]

Peripherally related, but how involved is the team in finding accommodations for players after a trade or signing? I can't imagine there'd be a lot of time for players to look at a dozen houses and read up on which neighbourhoods have the best schools, particularly if the change of address happens mid-season. Do teams have someone on staff to take care of (or at least help with) that sort of thing?

Just an example from what happened yesterday. The Kings traded for Sekera. It came out today that he'll be staying with Gaborik for now. Them being fellow countrymen helps with up but it happens quite often that one of the other players will put them up.

 

[kdb209]

If I was an investigative journalist I might look into how the wives of NHL players got their new jobs when the couple moved to a new city. Wouldn't be surprised at all if this was an area where there was some slight cba skirting. The NHL team gave nothing of value to the player, but maybe the owner of the team called one of his billionaire buddies and put a good word in for the wife of his newly acquired player.

Or maybe an owner has called another of his influential friends and made sure that the kid of one his players got into a desired university.

Wouldn't be surprised at all if this kind of thing was happning.

Theoretically acts by a third-party with connection to the team which provide a direct or indirect benefit to a player could be treated as Circumvention.

I guess the Preds are kind of screwed when Powers Management books Carrie Underwood at Bridgestone .

 

[seanlinden]

I would not know of any being set up with jobs by team owners, but I have known others that were gainfully employed. A good current example is Jenny Scrivens, wife of Ben Scrivens. She is Communications Manager for Ronald McDonald House Northern Alberta, and has held other positions in other cities that her husband's career has taken her to. This all might change when/if they have children, but she isn't just sitting back and spending the money.

I'll jump right into the fray with stereotypes here -- i've never heard of a hockey player wife who was a Doctor, or career-driven businesswoman (i.e. Working for somebody who will pay the most). I have heard of Mike Fisher being married to Carrie Underwood, Dion Phaneuf and Elisha Cuthbert, Mike Comrie and Hilary Duff, Brooks Laich and Julianne Hough, etc.

The other thing to remember -- and this is purely a stereotype. Hockey players for the most part get their pick of the litter when it comes to getting girls in bars and whatnot, while most players aren't really focused on using their brain to become successful. They're unlikely to relate each other.


The wives who do work, I suspect, do so in order to have something to do, so for Scrivens, sure she may have had a reasonable job and/or education before he made the NHL, but when that happened, she likely knew that she would have to make career-oriented sacrifices for sake of her marriage.

 

[Killion]

The other thing to remember -- and this is purely a stereotype. Hockey players for the most part get their pick of the litter when it comes to getting girls in bars and whatnot, while most players aren't really focused on using their brain to become successful. They're unlikely to relate each other.

It is indeed a stereotypical generalization, broad brush and completely inaccurate. Money aint for nothin and no, the chicks aint free.

 

[Llama19]

The other thing to remember -- and this is purely a stereotype. Hockey players for the most part get their pick of the litter when it comes to getting girls in bars and whatnot, while most players aren't really focused on using their brain to become successful. They're unlikely to relate each other.

It is indeed a stereotypical generalization, broad brush and completely inaccurate. Money aint for nothin and no, the chicks aint free.

Best advertisement ever...

 

[Killion]

Best advertisement ever...

Ya, wow, real Chick Magnet huh? And clearly a sense of self deprecating humor.
That takes some smarts. Now, Im not claiming their all firecrackers but still...

Hockey is 90% mental, the other half is physical.
Wayne Gretzky

..... math much?

And clearly Llama, I have my work cut out for me in taking their side,
playing Devils Advocate... What have I gotten myself into?... sigh.....