By Justin Worsley
The New Jersey Devils tried to fight the NHL's attempt to void the 17-year contract the Devils tried to give to winger Ilya Kovalchuk and lost.
An arbitrator ruled on Monday that the league was just in disallowing the 17-year, $102 million blockbuster deal. The longest contract given to a player in NHL history was ruled as violating the salary cap.
The deal paid out Kovalchuk, 27, a large sum of money early, but then only gave him $550,000 per season in the final five years of the deal.
Kovalchuk originally agreed to the deal on July 19, but after the NHL reviewed the contract, they swiftly voided it two days later. The arbitration ruling makes Kovalchuk an unrestricted free agent again.
Kovalchuk, often referred to as "The Russian Sniper," has scored more goals than any NHL player since his rookie season in 2001. The Devils acquired the high-scoring Russian in a trade with the Atlanta Thrashers, who selected him with the first-overall pick of the 2001 NHL Draft, last February. In his career, Kovalchuk has scored 338 goals and 304 assists in 621 career games. Last season, Kovalchuk scored 41 goals and 44 assists.
New Jersey could also face league punishment for the signing, though the NHL has made no announcement yet. The cap violation could result in the loss of a draft pick or a fine.
New Jersey's president and general manager Lou Lamoriello has stated that the team is in talks with Kovalchuk but no offer is set.
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