*During the 2012-13 season, there was a lockout. Since its reintroduction in the 2005-06 season, the NHL salary cap had risen every year until the pandemic shortened 2020-2021 season: One was first introduced during the Great Depression, at which time the salary cap per team was $62,500 and $7,000 per player. The concept of a salary cap is not new to the NHL. Eventually, they agreed to the general structure that remain today, including the mandatory payment to players in US dollars. At the time of the negotiations, teams were spending around 75 percent of their revenues on salaries - much higher than any other North American sports league. This led to the 2004-05 CBA negotiations, during which the entire season was cancelled - the first time a labor dispute has ever caused a cancellation in a major sports league in North America. For instance, by signing a number of top-performing players and significantly spending more than the majority of other teams, the Detroit Red Wings were able to win three Stanley Cups in that time. The salary cap was introduced to prevent teams with the most revenue signing all the top players, which was becoming a problem in the '90s and early 2000s. By doing so, they can surpass the salary cap. However, if a player is injured and it's thought that they will miss at least 10 NHL games and 24 days in the season, their team can put them on long-term injured reserve (LTIR). As it is a 'hard cap,' there are no exemptions. The amount set as the salary cap each year depends on the league’s revenue for the previous season. The NHL salary cap is the total amount that NHL teams may pay for players.