[vincesanity82]

The news surrounding Alex Ovechkin's new contract with the Washington Capitals just gets bigger and bigger. According to Tarik el-Bashir of the Washington Post, the actual terms of the deal are a mind-boggling 13 years and $124 million -- according to el-Bashir, it's believed to be the wealthiest deal in NHL history. As reported by el-Bashir, the first six years will pay out at $9 million per season, with the final four at $10 million each.

That's a significant upgrade over the six-year, $54 million report that leaked earlier today from Sovetsky Sport, and a heck of a premium over the 5-year, $43.5 million deal that reigning NHL MVP Sidney Crosby signed to stay in Pittsburgh this past offseason.

According to my FanHouse colleague, JD Press, the contract breaks down as follows:

• $9,538,461.54 per season for the next 13 years
• $116,322.70 per game for the next 13 seasons
• $5,311.54 per shift (based on his current season's shifts-per-game pace)
• $304,332.65 per hour of ice time (based on his current season's time on ice per game)

http://sports.aol.com/fanhouse/2008/01/10/ovechkins-deal-wealthiest-in-nhl-history/

[Lefty Noob]

Dang. That's a lot of money. Way too much, in fact. Makes me wonder what the heck Crosby's next deal will look like.

[blueandwhite]

good point- he will be the highest paid hockey player you'd think - unless some team that is just bombing wants to desperately hang onto their last vestiges of talent and totally overpay some player.
Salaries going crazy again makes me nervous. it's completely ridiculous the $$ that gets tossed at these guys.

[ThePundit]

It even makes Yashin's deal seem cheap in comparison - then again, Ovechkin is a real star, Yashin wasn't.

How much more can Crosby get, with the salary cap and all?

[Gotham Dark Knight]

Originally Posted by Lefty Noob

Dang. That's a lot of money. Way too much, in fact. Makes me wonder what the heck Crosby's next deal will look like.

That's what I was thinking...what does Sid Crosby ask for...and is dumb for a franchise with such lackluster fans (they couldn't even vote him onto the All-Star starting lineup) to shell out that type of cash.

[bears9]

Good deal for the Capitals, he is one of the few NHL players I've heard of (which is saying something). But awful deal for Ovechkin, the Capitals are awful and he is stuck for 13 years.

[Lefty Noob]

Originally Posted by bears9

Good deal for the Capitals, he is one of the few NHL players I've heard of (which is saying something). But awful deal for Ovechkin, the Capitals are awful and he is stuck for 13 years.

So bears, tell me... what part of "Highest Paid Player in NHL History" makes this a bad deal for Ovechkin???

[bears9]

Originally Posted by Lefty Noob

So bears, tell me... what part of "Highest Paid Player in NHL History" makes this a bad deal for Ovechkin???

The part where he is stuck with the Capitals for 13 years.

[Lefty Noob]

Originally Posted by bears9

The part where he is stuck with the Capitals for 13 years.

Guarantee you this contract will be torn up, one way or another, by 2013.

[Seahawker 562]

lets hope the NHL last's that long

[blueandwhite]

Originally Posted by bears9

The part where he is stuck with the Capitals for 13 years.

a young player starts with a bad team and slowly -just like the penguins - they get better. washington will not always be this bad and Ovechkin is King there.

and who says the nhl is goin anywhere? nhl's been around for decades and there's no signs it's leaving.

[Gotham Dark Knight]

Originally Posted by blueandwhite

a young player starts with a bad team and slowly -just like the penguins - they get better. washington will not always be this bad and Ovechkin is King there.

and who says the nhl is goin anywhere? nhl's been around for decades and there's no signs it's leaving.

Well, lets see, most teams are State side, the dollar is weak, owners shell out too much, TV revenue is poor...I really think the NHL is in a state of chaos...It needs better leadership to survive...maybe now that there is a TV writer's strike they can come up with an NHL reality show to make money...

[Lefty Noob]

Originally Posted by blueandwhite

and who says the nhl is goin anywhere? nhl's been around for decades and there's no signs it's leaving.

They get in the habit of paying players $124 million over 13 years and all bets are off.

[Gotham Dark Knight]

Originally Posted by Lefty Noob

They get in the habit of paying players $124 million over 13 years and all bets are off.

Yes, I mean, do you really think Ovechkin would not have taken less?...come on...what is the alternative to the NHL?...Russia, Sweden?...the owners are hell bent on killing the league.

[blueandwhite]

you guys are looking at it strictly from an american perspective. There's more to it than a weak American dollar and poor American ratings.