NHLPA: 14 players line up for the humiliation of salary arbitration

Toronto Maple Leafs' defenseman Mark Fraser is one of 14 players set for arbitration. (Fred Kfoury/Icon SMI) By Allan Muir It takes a lot of guts for a player

Toronto Maple Leafs' defenseman Mark Fraser is one of 14 players set for arbitration. (Fred Kfoury/Icon SMI)

By Allan Muir

It takes a lot of guts for a player to ask for salary arbitration. Not everyone is up to the grueling process, during which a player's value will be compared to that of a flaming pile of dung, a tiny mouse and, in extreme cases, Sean Avery.

But still, some soldier on. And so the NHLPA has announced hearing dates for 14 players eligible for salary arbitration.

The PA initially announced 21 players had chosen arbitration last week. Seven, including Winnipeg's Eric Tangradi in the last hour have avoided the humiliation by coming to terms with their teams on a new deal. Four of the remaining players are members of the Winnipeg Jets.

That should be a happy room next season.

Players can remove themselves from the calendar by coming to terms at any time before their scheduled date. Assuming they don't here's the schedule:

July 22:Sam Gagner/Edmonton Oilers; Chris Stewart/St. Louis Blues

July 24:Bryan Little/Winnipeg Jets

July 25:Nick Spaling/Nashville Predators

July 26: Carl Gunnarsson/Toronto Maple Leafs

July 29:Blake Wheeler/Winnipeg Jets

July 30:Paul Postma/Winnipeg Jets; Mark Fraser/Toronto Maple Leafs

July 31:Mats Zuccarello/New York Rangers; Dale Weise/Vancouver Canucks

August 1: Robert Bortuzzo/Pittsburgh Penguins; Jordan Nolan/Los Angeles Kings

August 2:Trevor Lewis/Los Angeles Kings; Zach Bogosian/Winnipeg Jets

UPDATE: