"The contract has been rejected by the League as a circumvention of the Collective Bargaining Agreement. Under the CBA, the contract rejection triggers a number of possible next steps that may be elected by any or each of the NHLPA, the Player and/or the Club. In the interim, the player is not entitled to play under the contract, nor is he entitled to any of the rights and benefits that are provided for thereunder. The League will have no further comment on this matter pending further developments."

No Club or Club Actor, directly or indirectly, may ... take or fail to take any action whatsoever ... intended to or has the effect of defeating or circumventing the provisions of this agreement of the intention o the parties as reflected by the provisions of this agreement, including without limitation, provisions with respect to the financial and other reporting obligations of the Clubs and the League, Team Payroll Range, Player Compensation Cost Redistribution System, the Entry Level System and/or Free Agency.

The league probably took issue with the "front-loaded" nature of the contract, which pays $11.5 million in its peak years and $550,000 each of the last five years. The contract expires when Kovalchuk is 45. By tacking on the final five years of the contract – at a time when most players retire – the Devils lowered the salary-cap hit to $6 million.

The NHLPA could file a grievance, or the Devils could re-structure the contract. A grievance is possible, since the league has already approved similar contracts in recent years.

Last summer, the Philadelphia Flyers signed defenseman Chris Pronger to a 7-year extension that will take him to age 42, but he will make $33.4 million before age 40 and only $1.05 million after. Marian Hossa's 12-year, $63 million contract with the Chicago Blackhawks takes him until age 42, but pays $59 million over the first eight seasons and $4 million over the final four.

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