Reports: NHL to cut league staff pay

The NHL is cutting the pay of some employees in the league office by 25 percent, effective April 1, according to multiple reports. The reduction is in response to financial losses the league is enduring because of the coronavirus pandemic. Bloomberg, citing a source, said the pay cut would affect employees who earn more than "about $75,000" annually. Bill Daly, the NHL deputy commissioner, confirmed the cuts but declined further comment to Bloomberg.

The pay cuts do not apply to team staff or players. The league suspended play March 12 with just over three weeks remaining in the regular season. The NHL is reviewing how it eventually might resume the season and hold the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Also Tuesday, the owner of the Montreal Canadiens announced it will lay off employees. Groupe CH, which owns the Canadiens and Rocket Laval of the American Hockey League, said the layoffs will impact 60 percent of employees and will take effect March 30. "This decision was necessary given the significant impact the pandemic has had on the sports and entertainment industries," Groupe CH said in a news release.

The organization said it has set aside funds that will pay employee insurance benefits and keep employees at about 80 percent of the salary for eight weeks. The fund also can be tapped into to provide loans to employees. Harris Blitzer Sports and Entertainment, which owns the New Jersey Devils and the NBA Philadelphia 76ers, backed off on its plan to cut the pay of salaried employees by 20 percent during the pandemic. Co-owner Josh Harris said his group had a change of heart.

"Our commitment has been to do our best to keep all of our employees working through this very difficult situation," Harris said. "As part of an effort to do that we asked salaried employees to take a temporary 20% pay cut while preserving everyone's full benefits -- and keeping our 1500 hourly workers paid throughout the regular season. After listening to our staff and players, it's clear that was the wrong decision. We have reversed it and will be paying these employees their full salaries. This is an extraordinary time in our world -- unlike any most of us have ever lived through before -- and ordinary business decisions are not enough to meet the moment. To our staff and fans, I apologize for getting this wrong." --Field Level Media

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)