NHL and NHLPA extend CBA: 84 games and key changes until 2030

New NHL Collective Bargaining Agreement: Key Details

The NHL Board of Governors and the full NHLPA membership have ratified the new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), which will come into effect in the 2026-27 season and extend through the 2029-30 season.

Although the full details of the new CBA will not be published until later, sources confirmed that the agreement will include an 84-game regular season, two more than the current 82, as well as shorter maximum term contracts.

The two sides agreed on the new CBA at the end of June, before the NHL draft in Los Angeles. The players voted to ratify the agreement over the weekend.

“The partnership between the Players’ Association and the League is stronger than ever and working together under this agreement presents a fantastic opportunity to continue to grow the game,” said NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman in a statement.
Gary Bettman, NHL Commissioner

The new CBA follows a 10-year agreement signed in 2013 and then extended in 2020. NHLPA Executive Director Marty Walsh said last month that the players preferred a shorter term because the NHL is constantly evolving.

“We had some players who came into this league under the last agreement and retired from the league under the last agreement,” Walsh said. “They never had a chance to really voice their opinions or collective bargaining rights. Because generations of players change.”
Marty Walsh, NHLPA Executive Director

Sources confirmed that the CBA will include:

An 84-game regular season, along with a shorter preseason.
Shorter maximum-term contracts, limited to seven years for a player re-signing with their club and six years if signing with another team.
Permanent emergency goalies for teams.
Changes to long-term injury reserve rules including a postseason salary cap on the total salaries of active players in any playoff game.
Elimination of player dress codes on game days.
Standardization of draft rights expiring when a player turns 22.
Increased NHL minimum salaries.
Elimination of deferred payments in contracts.
Extension of the NHL’s commitment to Olympic participation through 2030.

The CBA conversations between the owners and the players were the smoothest of Bettman’s tenure as commissioner, which began in 1993. He attributed that to Walsh, the former U.S. Secretary of Labor and mayor of Boston, who joined the NHLPA in 2023.

“It’s completely refreshing. It’s completely different from any of the previous experiences I’ve had so far,” said Bettman.
Gary Bettman, NHL Commissioner

“This CBA shows what can be achieved when the NHL and the union work together, an agreement that will allow the continued growth of the game worldwide,” added Walsh. “That’s a win for everyone.”
Marty Walsh, NHLPA Executive Director