Blue Jackets seek NHL exemption after tragic loss of Johnny Gaudreau

After the heartbreaking loss of forward Johnny Gaudreau and his brother Matthew, there's a chance the NHL, led by Gary Bettman, could make an exception for the Columbus Blue Jackets.

The tragic passing of Gaudreau and tragic removal of his $9.75 million cap hit has left the team close to falling short of the NHL's salary floor, which is set at $65 million.

Right now, they're on the brink of being under that minimum. Teams caught violating the salary cap can face serious consequences, like fines up to $5 million, having player contracts canceled, losing draft picks, losing points in the standings, or even forfeiting games that were impacted by the cap violation.

Now, the NHL rulebook does have some provisions that might allow teams to dip below this threshold, but it's complicated . Would the league penalize the Blue Jackets for something out of their control which happened just before training camp?

Regardless, the NHL must figure something out. Karine Hains from The Hockey News notes how the NBA often grants exceptions in similar cases, like when a player is out for the season due to a severe injury or, sadly, death.

Given this unique and tragic situation, the league should grant a similar exemption for the Blue Jackets, who are projected to have a salary total of about $62.3 million, falling short of the $65 million floor.

Source: Habs FanaticsGary Bettman could grant a major special permission to the Jackets after the death of Johnny Gaudreau

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