Skip navigation
Favorites
Sign up to follow your favorites on all your devices.
Sign up

Columnist: Blame Jacobs for NHL lockout

Jeremy Jacobs

For your afternoon reading pleasure, CSNNE.com’s Joe Haggerty has a few thoughts on the man whose name has become synonymous with the description “hardline NHL owner.”

That man, of course, is Boston Bruins owner Jeremy Jacobs. And suffice to say, Haggerty isn’t a huge fan.

The biggest question of the lockout is, why would a frugal, shrewd businessman like Jacobs seemingly do his own team a disservice by prolonging the lockout? The Bruins have the most money committed in player salaries over the next two seasons, and would be severely affected by a sudden drop in the salary cap. Even if NHL teams are given a one-year transition period to adjust to a plummeting salary cap, the Bruins will be bumping the cap ceiling in 2013-14 without a single proven NHL goaltender signed on for duty.

That’s a horrendous position for Jacobs to leave his franchise when the Bruins have relied so prominently on defense and goaltending for success. But it doesn’t seem to matter a whit to the Bruins owner as he bangs the drum for a lowered salary cap, draconian contract restrictions, and a stodgy desire to turn the NHL clock back at least 30 years.

Because Jacobs is a multi-billionaire used to winning and hearing exactly what he wants to hear at all times.

We encourage you to read Haggerty’s entire piece. (Particularly the part about Jacobs telling an alternate governor from the Winnipeg Jets to speak only when spoken to.)