Month: March 2022

LTIR Loophole

Megan Horan on

For those of you new here, my blog focuses on all things hockey. I mostly like to focus on the National Hockey League, and this week I will be doing just that. In particular, I am going to talk about a recent topic of controversy within the NHL. It is called the LTIR Loophole.

LTIR stands for Long-Term Injury Reserve. Long-Term Injury Reserve is a rule in the NHL that aims to help out teams that have an injured player who will be out for a substantial amount of time. If the player is injured and will be unable to play for the rest of the regular season, a team can place this player on LTIR, effectively removing his payment from the salary cap for this time period. For reference, the salary cap is the maximum amount of money a team can spend on its players’ salaries. Teams cannot go past the salary cap without facing serious penalty. However, the LTIR brings about a loophole in the rule.

Since a player’s salary will not count towards the salary cap if he is on LTIR, teams can sign additional players to play for them under this newfound cap space. This was meant to allow them to bring in additional players since they are essentially down a man for an entire season, however teams quickly began taking advantage of this. This is because the player on LTIR is then able to come back during the playoffs, and teams can keep both the returned player and newly signed players with no penalty for violating the salary cap.

For example, the Tampa Bay Lighting used this loophole to their advantage during their 2021 Stanley Cup playoff run and ultimate Cup win. Their star player, Nikita Kucherov, suffered a major injury during the regular season. The Lightning then placed him on LTIR, as they were unsure when he would be able to return and needed extra players in his absence. This would be fine if Kucherov returned when he was healthy, but this was not the case. Although fully recovered before the start of the playoffs, the Tampa Bay front office kept Kucherov on LTIR until the beginning of the postseason, so they were able to keep Kucherov and all of the newly signed players without any penalty. Because of this loophole, the team was able to play a roster that was $18 million over the allotted NHL salary cap. Naturally, many other teams and fans were outraged by this. It is unfair that the Lighting were able to play extra players without having to adhere to the strict budget that the other NHL teams had to follow.

Recently, the Las Vegas Golden Knights have pulled a similar move. After a botched trade deal that led to a breach of the salary cap, the Golden Knights suspiciously placed a few players on LTIR, removing their salary payments and putting them back under the salary cap. While this seems wrong and unfair, there is technically no current rule against this. However, the NHL general managers are collectively meeting next week, and rumor has it that a discussion involving the LTIR Loophole is on the agenda. I really hope this loophole is fixed soon so no more teams can circumvent the salary cap, as it is not fair to the rest of the teams abiding by the rules.

O Captain, My Captain

Megan Horan on

Today is a sad day for Philadelphia Flyers fans. Today (Saturday, March 19th) is the day Claude Giroux got traded from the franchise. Being the avid Flyers fan that I am, I apologize in advance, because this blog post might get a little sentimental. Claude Giroux was the captain of the Flyers since 2013, making him the longest tenured captain in Flyers history. When I think of the Philadelphia Flyers, I think of Claude Giroux.

Some people grew up with Tom Brady, some with Kobe Bryant. However, I grew up with Claude. Giroux’s first game was in 2008, so I grew up while he simultaneously grew as a player. I was there, watching and supporting, while he accomplished all his milestones. I remember seeing him get appointed captain and being so happy for him as if he were my best friend. I remember how emotional I got when he was named this year’s NHL All Star Game MVP, knowing it was likely his last ever all star game as a Flyer. While this may seem a little bias so far, I promise it is not. His career statistics don’t lie.

Claude Giroux, previous captain of the Philadelphia Flyers

Claude Giroux played exactly 1,000 games with the Philadelphia Flyers, making him the 368th player to play at least 1,000 games. This may seem like a large number at first, but it is only a small fraction of the 7,623 players who have played since the birth of the NHL in 1917. He is one of only two Philadelphia Flyers who played 1,000 games under the organization, sharing this milestone with other Flyers great Bobby Clarke. Speaking of Bobby Clarke, Claude Giroux is the most awarded player of the Bobby Clarke Trophy, which is awarded to the most valuable Philadelphia Flyer each year. Giroux also sits behind only Bobby Clarke in many franchise records, as he is ranked second in number of assists and points earned throughout his career. Giroux’s success is not only seen in the Flyers franchise. He has been a dominant player in the league as a whole over the past decade.

Claude Giroux has scored the fourth most points (which are the number of combined goals and assists in hockey) in the NHL since 2010. He trails only NHL skill superstars Patrick Kane, Sidney Crosby, and Alexander Ovechkin. In fact, he leads all current NHL players in number of assists since 2010. This is an impressive statistic, considering the skill of many NHL players of that decade. He has also played in seven NHL All Star Games over the course of his career.

Claude Giroux embodies everything a good captain should be. He has the skill, determination, and leadership that any team would desire. While I will certainly miss him here in Philly, I wish him the best of luck with the Florida Panthers. I would have loved to see him win the Stanley Cup as a Philadelphia Flyer, but that was sadly not the case. Nonetheless, it would be a shame if a player as talented and good-hearted as Giroux never won the league’s highest accolade. Giroux is getting older and his career may be coming to a close, so I really hope he is able to lift the cup with the Panthers at the end of this playoff season, even if he isn’t doing it in the orange and black.

Claude Giroux and son Gavin waving goodbye to Philadelphia Flyer fans in his last game on Saturday

 

Image links: https://www.instagram.com/p/Cbaps-mOzm5/

https://www.nhl.com/news/philadelphia-captain-claude-giroux-motivated-by-early-snubs/c-304642166

Women’s History Month Hockey Highlight

Megan Horan on

I typically write my hockey blog on NHL news; however, we are going to switch things up this week in honor of Women’s History Month. Women’s ice hockey is a very fun, fast-paced game, yet it receives little recognition from the male-dominated hockey fanbase as a whole. Ice hockey has long since had a history of misogyny within the sport, but it is still sad to see how prevalent it is today. Professional women’s ice hockey players still receive very little recognition and attention within the hockey community. I would also argue that they receive no recognition in mainstream media, excluding a few Hillary Knight and Chipotle collaborations. While the Olympics have started to draw in some more fans over the years, these hardworking, talented players deserve more than just attention once every four years.

In this year’s 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, the United States faced off against Canada in the gold medal game. This matchup was very much expected, as the United States and Canada have played in five of the six gold medal games in women’s ice hockey Olympic history. A history such as this was bound to create a bitter rivalry, and it did. The women’s teams have created a very competitive relationship, causing their matchups to be very entertaining to watch. Everyone loves a classic sports rivalry! However, many are still missing out on the greatness of these teams.

While the rivalry between the United States and Canada is known about, not many fans are exposed to it. The International Ice Hockey Federation Women’s World Championships are rarely aired on Canadian television, let alone in the United States. It is not that people don’t want to watch the games; it’s just there is little opportunity or accessibility to view them. In fact, when presented with the opportunity, millions of fans tune in.

This year’s previously mentioned gold medal game averaged 3.54 million viewers on its NBC broadcast. This surpassed the number of viewers of any NHL game televised in the United States this season. It was also the second most-watched hockey game in the United States since the 2019 Stanley Cup Final! Fans clearly want to watch the games, so networks have to start providing them with the chance. These women play hockey year-round, yet we only get to see them, and they only get attention, every four years. In my opinion, the game of women’s hockey has the potential for massive growth, it just needs companies to support it.

Luckily, the NHL has been taking steps to grow the women’s game. In 2019, the NHL invited Kendall Coyne Schofield to participate in the fastest skater competition at the NHL All-Star Skills Competition. She finished with a time of 14.346 seconds (which is remarkably fast, for reference) and only finished less than a second behind three-time champion and NHL superstar Connor McDavid. Kendall blew the minds of not only the NHL players competing with her, but also hockey fans around the world. This exposure allowed millions of fans to see just how truly talented women’s hockey players are.

http://https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=58qOiRANbxo

         Kendall Coyne Schofield’s historic Fastest Skater Competition time at the 2019 NHL All-Star Game.

Women’s ice hockey has the potential to become something huge, and with a little support and investment from television networks and corporations, they can accomplish this feat. They also deserve more attention from hockey fans across the globe, including me. I should be talking about women’s ice hockey consistently, not just during Women’s History Month. Hopefully, someday soon, everyone else will be too.

College Cost Crisis

Megan Horan on

America is currently in an economic disaster. And no, I’m not talking about the rising cost of gas. I’m referring to the student loan crisis and the unreasonable rise of the cost of higher education. Over the past decade, the tuition of many universities and colleges has skyrocketed, leaving little to no students able to pay for it out of pocket. Students are able to apply for federal student aid through the FAFSA application, however this process is much more time consuming, stressful, and complicated than it should be. Also, after all of this hassle, many students receive little to no financial aid.

According to data obtained from Education Data Initiative, the average federal grant amount awarded to individual students annually is $5,179. As we college students know, this amount will not get you very far. This might just be able to cover your cost of a meal plan and textbooks for two semesters. Many middle-class students also receive substantially less than this amount, which can be frustrating for most. They are not deemed needy enough in the eyes of the federal government, yet they are unable to fund their education by themselves without some form of assistance. So, as the cost of tuition continues to rise, students must turn to other sources to help pay their annual costs.

Despite the cost of tuition rising, the minimum wage (which most high school students earn at their part-time jobs) has not risen proportionally with it. Decades ago, students were once able to pay for their own education through their earnings at their part-time and summer jobs. However, this expectation is no longer realistic and would be a nearly impossible feat to accomplish if attending a large, for-profit institution. According to Education Data Initiative, the annual tuition at a four-year public college in 1963 was $2,207 (when adjusted for inflation). This cost could have easily been funded by students themselves, but it no longer can be today after a 324% increase in tuition. Thus, students turn to the next option available to them—student loans.

Currently, roughly 43.4 million past and present students have federal student loan debt. This results in over $1.6 trillion in the outstanding Federal Loan Portfolio. On average, an individual’s federal student loan debt balance is $37,113. A price so high can be extremely difficult to pay off right out of college, especially if students do not get a stable, high-paying job right away. They must also pay for other things, like rent for a new living situation or other bills now that they are living on their own. The situation is then made even worse due to the fact that student loans require interest payments. The longer you take to pay off your loan, which can be considerably long due to external factors previously mentioned, the more your loan payments will cost. As interest rates on your loans accumulate over time, you will just have to pay more and more. This can create a helpless hole for some students, that only gets dug deeper and deeper with time. If they were struggling to pay off the initial amount, how would they be able to pay off an increased amount with accumulated interest? This is how many people get trapped within their student loans, and they can take decades to be fully paid off.

For this reason, many believe that all interest rates on federal student loans should be eliminated. This will ease the pressure off of students and will avoid trapping them in that endless hole of feeling behind. Students can pay back their loans when they are fully able without the fear of falling behind and accumulating even more debt. According to Fortune Education, eliminating interest rates would save the average student around $50 a month. This may not seem like a lot at first, but it definitely adds up over time, especially for those who are already financially struggling. However, as with any proposed solution, there are cons with this idea. The federal government charges interest as a way to reduce risk when loaning out money. They also do this as a way to incentive people to pay back their loans in a timely manner. Also, without interest rates, many politicians fear taxpayers would have to make up for the lost government revenue. So, as with most partisan decisions today, this debate seems to be at a standstill.

Another proposed solution is much more drastic: to forgive all student loan debt completely. President Biden has a current freeze on student loan payments due to financial hardships for many caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, but most progressives believe he should pause all payments indefinitely. This would allow students to move on with their lives and spend their money freely in ways that will more directly support businesses and the economy. This will also encourage those of all financial backgrounds to apply for college, as they no longer would have to fear of crippling debt when they graduate. However, opposers to this idea argue that the government would lose out on billions of dollars, and it would also be unfair to students who had already paid off their loans on time. While this is a very difficult decision to make as there are many consequences to both solutions, I do know for sure that something has to be done to improve the cost crisis of higher education.

College and university tuition is currently extremely high, and it continues to rise. These exceedingly high prices discourage many financially disadvantaged students from attending college, which can cause universities to miss out on high-end talent and intelligence. Whether the solution is lowering tuition costs, distributing a greater amount of federal student aid grants, eliminating student loan interest rates, or forgiving student loan debt altogether, something must be done in order to make higher education more equitable and accessible for all, regardless of financial status. The United States is currently in a crisis surrounding the cost of higher education, and I do believe if not solved efficiently and effectively, it will have harmful effects on the country as a whole.

https://educationdata.org/financial-aid-statistics

https://educationdata.org/student-loan-debt-statistics

https://educationdata.org/average-cost-of-college

https://fortune.com/education/business/articles/2021/11/24/could-0-interest-rates-settle-the-student-loan-debate/