The NHL is poised to introduce an 84-game season as part of an extension of their collective bargaining agreement, recently reached by the league and the NHL Players’ Association.
The official announcement was made on Friday in Los Angeles ahead of the draft’s first round, although the deal awaits ratification by the Board of Governors and the full membership of the NHLPA.
According to two insiders, the revised agreement will extend the regular season by two games, adjust the maximum contract lengths available to players, and introduce a playoff salary cap for the first time.
Negotiations between the NHL and the NHLPA gathered momentum earlier this spring, particularly after a shared commitment in February at the 4 Nations Face-Off to host a World Cup of Hockey in 2028. With record-breaking revenue and an increasing salary cap, Commissioner Gary Bettman and union executive director Marty Walsh shared an optimistic outlook on swiftly reaching a consensus. Unlike previous talks, this round encountered no contentious major issues.
Extending through 2030, the agreement promises ongoing labor stability for the sport, a welcome continuity since the 2012-13 lockout that cut that season to 48 games.
Significant changes include:
**Extended Season**
The new 84-game schedule will commence with the 2026-27 season, bringing the total to 1,344 games while reducing exhibition play to four games per team across the 32 NHL franchises.
This move aims to balance the schedule, ensuring that division rivals like Toronto and Boston, or Dallas and Colorado, face each other four times each season. This adjustment ends the current rotation system where some division opponents met only three times annually.
The NHL saw an 84-game format previously during the 1992-93 and 1993-94 seasons, which included two neutral-site games per team.
**Revised Contract Terms**
Under the new CBA, maximum contract lengths will shorten: players can re-sign with their current teams for up to seven years and can sign with a new team for up to six years.
Historically, stars preferred longer contracts to mitigate injury risks, with general managers equally eager to retain top talent. Notable players such as Nathan MacKinnon, Sebastian Aho, and Mikko Rantanen have agreed to substantial eight-year contracts.
However, expectations are shifting alongside projected substantial salary cap increases over the next three years. Tor Maple Leaf’s Auston Matthews opted for a four-year re-signing last summer, and Connor McDavid might follow suit with a short-term extension for Edmonton.
**Introduction of Playoff Cap**
The current system permits teams to exceed the salary cap by the salaries of players on long-term injured reserve until the playoffs begin. This has allowed Stanley Cup contenders to bring back key players for the postseason who missed part or all of the regular season.
Teams like Florida, Vegas, Tampa Bay, and Chicago have utilized this to activate star players such as Matthew Tkachuk, Mark Stone, Nikita Kucherov, and Patrick Kane, respectively.
Critics have viewed this rule as a loophole, allowing teams to circumvent salary restrictions to their advantage in the playoffs, highlighted by Dougie Hamilton’s remarks after the Hurricanes’ playoff exit to a Tampa Bay squad perceived as $18 million over the cap.
Though the specifics remain to be disclosed, this practice will now be curtailed with the new playoff cap regulations.
This article signals an era of evolving features in the NHL with significant changes aimed at ensuring balanced competition and labor peace through the decade’s end.