Kings Get Another Shot At Ilya Kovalchuk
Ilya Kovalchuk is back on the free-agent market.
An arbitrater has decided that the NHL acted correctly in voiding Kovalchuk's landmark $102 million contract with the New Jersey Devils.
The league had rejected the 17-year contract, saying the longest deal in league history violated its salary cap.
The NHL Players Associaton filed a grievance against the league.
A hearing was held last week and arbiter Richard Bloch sided with the league when he issued his ruling on Monday.
The decision puts Kovalchuk back on the market. The high-scoring Russian was hockey's biggest prize in free agency this year with 338 goals and 304 assists in 642 career games.
The Los Angeles
Kings were set to offer Kovalchuk a 15-year deal worth $80 million before he signed with the Devils.
Since then, the Kings have inked Alexei Ponikarovsky to a two-year deal worth $3.2 million.
