Much ado was made about theseven-year contract extension Chris Pronger received from the Philadelphia Flyers shortly after he was traded by the Ducks. And with good reason: It’s a strange contract.

It provides the defenseman at least $7 million in its first four years, $4 million in the fifth year, and $525,000 each of the last two years, when Pronger will be 41 and 42 years old. Now, the NHL will hire an outside firm to determine whether the Flyers discussed a timeline for Pronger’s potential retirement before the contract was signed, ESPN.com is reporting.

The NHL is investigating a similarly lengthy contract the Chicago Blackhawks gave Marian Hossa. At the end of the investigation, the report says, the league will decide whether to pursue charges against the the teams for circumventing the collective bargaining agreement. The teams could face fines, the loss of draft picks or both.