NHL GMs in trouble after NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly calls them out for tampering

Bill Daly, deputy commissioner, made it clear to all that the league will crack down hard on any tampering rules during the General Manager meetings, according to a report from TSN's Pierre LeBrun, who appeared on "Early Trading" this past Tuesday.

The agenda had tampering slotted, so this isn't some random discussion that came about; it is something the league wants to make sure is taken seriously.

Daly had to remind the general managers of the rules themselves and the possible sanctions that come with breaking them.

Tampering can come with severe fines, sometimes even reaching high fines and the loss of precious draft picks.

This memo comes after concerns by Daly about reports of early contract agreements between teams and free agents before the official opening of free agency.

According to the rules that exist now in the NHL, teams absolutely cannot discuss with players approaching free agency until noon ET on July 1, except in cases where permission is given by a player's current team.

Beyond that, players' representatives can seek permission for their clients to speak with other teams.

There were rumblings this summer that several players had a handshake on deals with new teams before free agency technically opened.

Notable names with reported early signings include forwards Tyler Bertuzzi and Tyler Toffoli, and defensemen Brandon Montour and Brett Pesce.

Those incidents have added to Daly's consternation and moved him to reinforce the need for adherence to the league's rules.

The point of tampering rules in the NHL speaks to a deeper priority: making sure the playing field is level between all teams, and that nobody gets an improper advantage to throw off the competitive balance of the league.

What Daly meant was that it would not look the other way, and the teams should understand the structure and timing of free agency negotiations.