Everybody wants to know why the UHL regulates having so many rookies. It's because it's a way to cut costs, and that's it. Why do they need to cut costs if there's a salary cap? Very good question!
Sure, the league can package the rookies to say it wants to be a developmental league, but it makes lousy business sense for owners to go along with that. Why should they care about players getting the opportunity to move up, especially if those are likely their best players? What's in it for them, and there always has to be something in it for them.
Wouldn't you rather just see the best players regardless of veteran, rookie or tweener situation? Of course you would.
The salary cap is a way for underfunded owners to control costs, but it's also pretty much unenforceable. You'd have to be really, really stupid to get caught, and there hasn't been a salary cap violation in at least five years in any league. How can that be? Logically, realistically, how can that be? Everybody talks about it, but nobody ever gets caught? Then what are they talking about? Common sense says it can't be.
Everybody cracks on the league office about this, but how are they supposed to enforce it if the owners themselves don't want to enforce it? Send out commando private investigator accountants? The players sure aren't going to say anything. If no one truly wants to enforce it, it can't be enforced, especially by a league staff that is totally undermanned and overworked. I think Richard Brosal and Brad Jones have incredible integrity, but they can only do so much. Do you think a player is going to face being blackballed for the rest of his career by talking about it? Of course not.
And don't give me the ``Where's the proof?'' The only people who say that don't want to see the proof. You're never going to find the proof because these are private companies and they don't have to open the books. That's OK, but don't lie and say, `Well, so and so comes here to play because we win, or it's a beautiful place.' Get a clue. I'll bet if your boss came to you and said you can make X dollars here or less dollars here in this beautiful spot, you'd take the first offer. So would anyone else, including hockey players. And don't insult your own intelligence by talking about a soft cap, either.
I'm not trying to stir up a bunch of trouble here, but I read this stuff day after day and it's ridiculous. It's far more important what the economic situation is for every team. These owners know what they can spend down to the dime. They have to.
There is no perfect system, and maybe this system is as good as it gets, but don't kid yourselves about a salary cap. Nobody is buying it.
OK, everybody start screaming.
