After hitting the brakes due to the pandemic, the NHL salary cap is reportedly set for a quick rise in the coming seasons.

The league’s cap, which will hit a record $82.5 million in the 2022-23 season, could rise by around $10 million over the next three years, sources told SportsNet. Teams have reportedly been given guidance on the cap’s future.

• The cap could jump $1 million in 2023-24, then bump another $4 million each of the following two seasons, per the sources’ estimates.
• That would place the spending limit at approximately $92 million in 2025-26.
• In addition to the cap, the NHL has a spending floor, which is $61 million for the 2022-23 season.

The league instituted a $39 million cap for the 2005-06 season. The cap rose steadily before freezing at $81.5 million for the three pandemic-affected seasons, beginning with 2019-20.

Earlier this month, Colorado Avalanche star Nathan MacKinnon became the highest-paid player in league history, signing an eight-year, $100.8 million deal.

Revenue Rebound

The NHL hit $5.2 billion in revenue last season on the strength of new media deals and a return to a full schedule. The league took in $5.1 billion in 2018-19.

Disney is paying the league $400 million annually, while Turner Sports is shelling out $225 million per season. Both seven-year deals were signed last year.

Lululemon is strengthening its reach with the launch of a new fitness platform and membership program.

The Lululemon Studio Membership, which requires the Lululemon Studio Mirror, will cost $39 per month and includes unlimited access to content from the Studio and its partners, 10% off Lululemon purchases, discounts at partner locations, and more.

• Members will have access to eight studios online and in person including Pure Barre, Rumble, and YogaSix.
• The platform expands on the “more than 10,000 on-demand and live-streamed classes” offered on the Mirror.

Lululemon purchased connected-fitness company Mirror for $500 million in 2020 as more people were seeking at-home fitness options.

The Studio Membership will include the benefits of the Lululemon Essential Membership,  which offers “shopping perks, community experiences, and access to select Lululemon Studio classes at no cost.”

As part of the announcement, Lululemon will offer the Mirror for a “special price” of $795 with free delivery beginning Oct. 5.

Lululemon’s Outlook

Earlier this month, the athletic apparel brand reported a 29% increase in Q2 revenue to $1.87 billion. Lululemon maintains its outlook of doubling net revenue to $12.5 billion from 2021 to 2026.

A new professional women’s volleyball league has scored $16.75 million in a Series A funding round led by a star-studded group of investors.

League One Volleyball, first founded in 2020, secured funding from Billie Jean King, Kevin Durant, Chelsea Handler, and David Blitzer, among others. 

• Investors have roots in six major sports leagues, from the NFL to the English Premier League.
• More than half of the investors are women.

With the freshly minted capital, LOVB will continue creating professional teams across the country by enlisting junior players. The league will begin play this year, according to its website.

“LOVB is propelling U.S. volleyball to new heights, creating an exceptional volleyball community, a better future for athletes, and an expanded love of the game at all ages,” the league said in a statement.

Right Sport, Right Time

It’s no surprise that a professional volleyball initiative has caught investor attention, as women’s volleyball continues to grow in popularity at all levels. 

Girls’ participation in volleyball ranked second only to track and field in popularity in 2021-22 and the only top-10 sport that saw growth, according to the National Federation of High School Sports. At the college level, attendance, coverage, and viewership increase with each passing season. 

There’s even significant interest at the pro level, as Athletes Unlimited launched a popular league. Athletes Unlimited CEO Jon Patricof previously told Front Office Sports that pro women’s indoor volleyball was “probably the largest untapped opportunity in pro sports in this country.”

Pittsburgh appears to be losing a certain home-field advantage.

An Allegheny County judge ruled that a 3% tax charged by the city on wages earned by visiting athletes was unconstitutional under Pennsylvania law.

• Judge Christine Ward determined that the tax creates a “discriminatory burden on out-of-state residents” and violates the state constitution’s uniformity clause. Ward also found it leads to discriminatory tax rates among people in the same profession.
• The tax was challenged in court by New York Islanders right-winger Kyle Palmieri, former Pittsburgh Penguins and current Kontinental Hockey League player Scott Wilson, and retired MLB player Jeff Francoeur. 
• The three have collectively paid more than $25,000 to the city due to the “jock tax,” per court documents.

The city argued unsuccessfully that the fee was imposed so visiting players would help to fund the stadiums that they play in, and that the athletes were entitled to a credit on local income taxes in the amount that they pay toward the fee.

Cost of Admission

The tax presents a significant cost to certain athletes. The average MLB player makes $27,248.05 per game, meaning each game in Pittsburgh would cost $817.44 in taxes. 

New York Mets ace Max Scherzer, the highest-paid MLB player this season, was taxed $8,024.69 for each game in Steel City.