NHL Salary Cap Questions > Exceeding the Cap
Exceeding the Cap
Asked Nov 1, 2022 by Dave W.
If a team starts the regular season over the salary cap, what's the penalty? I ask because many teams are over this year, and they are required to shed cap, but what happens if they don’t?
Answer
Nov 14, 2022
This is a very common question. Teams simply cannot be out of compliance with the salary cap. So, if they are not utilizing LTIR, they cannot exceed the cap. There is no penalty because it cannot happen. The league would not approve any roster move that would put a team out of compliance with the cap. If a team failed to set a cap-compliant roster to open the season, they simply would not be permitted to play.
