Ex-NHL GM Neil Smith makes shocking claims regarding NHL tampering during free agency

By Abhishek Dilta

Modified Jul 08, 2024 18:01 GMT

Former New York Rangers and New York Islanders GM Neil Smith has made shocking revelations about NHL tampering during free agency.

During a recent segment on the "NHL Wraparound" podcast, Smith didn't hold back, pointing fingers at teams across the league for engaging in what he termed 'rampant tampering,' leading to the highly anticipated free agency period starting on July 1.

"I was out at the NHL draft in Las Vegas, talked to a lot of hockey people, and they tell me that the tampering with the upcoming free agents is just rampant in the league," Smith said.

Smith's comments shed light on the loopholes in tampering rules within the NHL, highlighting the lack of a 'whistleblower' in the league, suggesting that there are no actions taken to prevent teams from avoiding such practices.

The former GM also called out the names of the former Oilers manager and the current GM of the Florida Panthers, implying their potential involvement in NHL tampering activities.

"There's ways to get around the tampering rules by talking to the agents through a third party or whatever you want to do.

"And the problem is there isn't a whistleblower in the league because everybody's doing it. Ken Holland, who is no longer with the Oilers, but if he was the GM of the Oilers, that puts him and Bill Zito from the Florida Panthers," he continued.

Smith also questioned the legitimacy of the numerous players signing on the opening day of free agency (July 1), suggesting that negotiations and agreements may have taken place before the official free agency period, casting doubt on the fairness of the process.

"The hole that puts them in as far as preparing for the draft and preparing for free agency ... you can't tell me that all the plethora of players that were signed on July 1st, that they negotiated with, and came to an agreement with, and signed a contact with that team on that day," Smith added.

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Are there any repercussions for NHL tampering?

NHL tampering occurs when teams or individuals inside the league do actions that violate the rules of talking to players who are on another team. In simple terms, it's like attempting to sign a player or discuss contracts before they're approved.

However, if a team gets caught tampering, they can get fined, lose draft picks or face other punishments from the NHL. The guidelines are meant to keep things fair and ensure that teams follow the due processes when dealing with players.

In 2016, the Vancouver Canucks GM Jim Benning got into trouble for talking about Steven Stamkos and P.K. Subban in public when he shouldn't have.

The league thought his comments crossed the line and violated the NHL tampering rules. As a result, Bennings had to pay a fine of $50,000 for those inappropriate public remarks.