NHL salary cap rising for 2012-13

NEW YORK (AP) -- The NHL salary cap is going up, allowing teams to spend about $6 million more on players this season.

Before opening labor talks, the league and the NHL Players' Association announced the cap has been set at $70.2 million. That's a significant jump from last year's cap of $64.3 million, and continues the trend of increases since the cap system was established in 2005.

The minimum teams can spend on payroll is also rising, going up from $48 million to $54.2 million.

The announcement comes as the league prepares to open its free-agency period Sunday.

It's unclear what effect labor talks will have on the salary cap. The two sides are opening talks this week in a bid to reach a new deal before the current CBA expires Sept. 15.

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