The section concerning salary arbitration, Article 12 of the NHL’s collective bargaining agreement, winds through 13 pages and scripts every aspect of the process. Presentation of evidence. Order of proceedings. Consultation of statistics. It’s all there, ready to almost never get used.
Last season, 20 players filed for arbitration, effectively asking for third-party intervention to settle a contract dispute. Of those 20, all but one signed new contracts before their scheduled hearings. The outlier was Montreal defenseman P.K. Subban, who inked his extension after the case was heard, but before a ruling was issued.