CapFriendly, a popular site that has long been a source of NHL salary information, was shut off to the public on Wednesday.
In a note posted on its website signed by “The CapFriendly team,” reads, in part, “After 9 years of late nights, early mornings, missed holidays and family events while diligently updating the website and developing tools, the CapFriendly team has made the decision to begin a new chapter and challenge!”
The Washington Capitals reached an agreement to buy the site in mid-June, which was confirmed at the time by team GM Brian MacLellan. The site operated independently through the draft in late June and start of free agency before closing its virtual doors Wednesday.
Capitals assistant GM Don Fishman has been an expert in managing the salary cap for several years, helping Washington win the Stanley Cup in 2018 and reach the playoffs 15 times in the past 17 seasons. The Capitals believe the purchase of the site will give them an even bigger boost in navigating the finances of the game.
“This strategic move will provide the Capitals organization with the ability to digest, present and analyze both our internal and league-supplied data,” MacLellan said in the statement in June. “We anticipate that this acquisition will significantly enhance and integrate the various branches of our hockey operations department, allowing us to strengthen our management, scouting, analytics and player development, in addition to augmenting our salary cap and contractual applications.”
The Capitals were not the only team in conversations with CapFriendly, which started in 2015 as a successor to CapGeek.
MacLellan said in June the team is planning on bringing in CapFriendly’s Jamie, Ryan and Christopher Davis once the agreement is finalized, saying the Capitals “are excited to add the CapFriendly platform and the team’s related deep industry knowledge to the Capitals front office.” Buying the existing information rather than starting from scratch gives the organization a head start while the league’s other 31 teams must now adjust to Washington’s competitive advantage.
PuckPedia, another site with NHL salary data and more, is aligning itself as CapFriendly’s successor.
— With files from The Associated Press
