In one effortless stroke, the NHL could achieve multiple objectives. With a single decision, the league could please its fans, ensure accuracy in reporting on the game and team decisions—all while solidifying its ability to bypass traditional media and market itself directly to consumers.
That’s the nutshell argument for the league building its own publicly accessible salary website.
Money has always played a much larger role in sport than leagues like to admit publicly. Back in 2015, Commissioner Gary Bettman dismissed the possibility of the league building an official website, making the indefensible argument that fans don’t (and probably shouldn’t) care about such things.