The NHL Board of Governors and NHLPA membership have ratified a new Collective Bargaining Agreement spanning 2026-27 through 2029-30, featuring an expanded 84-game regular season and shortened maximum contract terms.
Sources confirmed to ESPN that the agreement includes significant structural changes to the league\'s operations. The new CBA represents the smoothest negotiations of Commissioner Gary Bettman\'s tenure, which began in 1993.
Key Contract and Salary Cap Changes
The agreement caps maximum contract terms at seven years for players re-signing with their current teams and six years for those signing elsewhere. The deal also includes permanent emergency backup goaltenders and modifications to long-term injured reserve rules that implement a postseason salary cap on active player salaries during playoff games.
Additional provisions eliminate deferred contract payments and increase minimum NHL salaries. The CBA standardizes draft rights expiration at age 22 and removes player dress codes on game days.
\"The partnership between the Players\' Association and the League is stronger than it ever has been and working together under this agreement presents a fantastic opportunity to continue to grow the game,\" Bettman said in a statement.
The two sides reached agreement in late June ahead of the NHL draft in Los Angeles, with players voting to ratify over the weekend. This CBA follows a 10-year agreement signed in 2013 and extended in 2020.
NHLPA executive director Marty Walsh advocated for the shorter term to allow newer player generations to participate in negotiations. Walsh, the former U.S. Secretary of Labor who joined the NHLPA in 2023, was credited by Bettman for facilitating the smooth negotiations.
\"We had some players that 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 express their collective bargaining opinions or rights.\"
The agreement extends NHL Olympic participation through 2030, building on the league\'s commitment to international competition. The 84-game schedule will be accompanied by a shortened preseason format.
\"This CBA shows what can be accomplished when the NHL and the union work together -- an agreement that will allow for the continued worldwide growth of the game,\" Walsh added.