Salary cap

From Frikipedia

The salary cap is a contentious issue amongst NHL fans and players. The entire 2004-05 season was wiped out due to a labour stoppage, caused by the insistence of team management that all clubs make the wearing of these caps mandatory. The reasoning was that it would create a level playing field and would stop clubs from becoming too popular.

It was a loosely logical plan, that centered around the fact that certain teams such as the Toronto Maple Leafs, and Detroit Red Wings were able to have their own caps due to their teams popularity and ability to sell out games consistently. This angered owners of lame franchises that nobody likes, such as the Carolina Hurricanes and Florida Panthers, whose caps were quite a lot smaller. As a result, the league decided that everyone should wear the same cap. Although there was some loose agreement to the concept of uniform headwear, it took an entire year to figure out exactly the size and design of this hat. It was the first time in North American pro sports history that an entire playing year was wiped out due to a labour stoppage, but thankfully, the league has completely recovered, and is better for it, and the hatmakers are all very happy.