Key Details of the New NHL-NHLPA CBA

The National Hockey League`s board of governors and the NHL Players` Association membership have successfully ratified a new collective bargaining agreement. This new agreement will commence after the current one expires at the close of the 2025-26 season, extending labor peace through the end of the 2029-30 season.

While the prevention of labor disputes is a crucial outcome for a league that has experienced multiple work stoppages in the 21st century, the new agreement includes several important changes that fans should note.

Here`s a breakdown of the key points:

When does this new CBA take effect?

The new NHL collective bargaining agreement is scheduled to begin on September 16, 2026, and will be in effect until September 15, 2030. This provides the league with five years of labor stability following the upcoming season. This marks the fastest agreement on an extension during Gary Bettman`s tenure as NHL commissioner. It is also the first major negotiation for Marty Walsh, who became the NHLPA executive director in 2023.

What are the main differences in the new CBA compared to the current one?

Several significant changes are highlighted in the new CBA:

• Schedule Adjustments: The regular season will expand to 84 games, while the preseason will be shortened to a maximum of four games per team. This allows teams to play every opponent, with divisional rivals facing each other four times every other season.
• Contract Term Limits: The maximum length for player contracts will be reduced to seven years from the current eight. Under the new rules, a player re-signing with their current team can sign for a maximum of seven years, while signing with a new team in free agency is limited to six years (down from the current seven).
• Deferred Salaries: The practice of allowing deferred salary arrangements will be eliminated. Players will receive their full compensation within the contract term.
• Emergency Backup Goaltender (EBUG): A formal position for a team`s full-time emergency backup goaltender will be established. This player will be able to practice and travel with the team under specific conditions.
• LTIR Rules: Updated language addresses the use of Long-Term Injured Reserve, particularly concerning players returning for the postseason after being on LTIR during the regular season.

What is the motivation for an 84-game season?

The new CBA extends the regular season from 82 to 84 games and shortens the exhibition season to four games per team. Players with over 100 NHL games can play in a maximum of two exhibition games, and those who played at least 50 games the previous season have a shorter training camp limit (13 days). The NHL previously had an 84-game season in the early 1990s, including neutral-site games.

For years, the league discussed adding games while reducing the preseason. The former CBA limited the season to 82 games, requiring negotiation for expansion. A key reason for the increase is functional: to balance the divisional schedule, allowing teams to play divisional opponents four times consistently every other year. Replacing two exhibition games with regular-season games also offers higher attendance and revenue.

Although adding two games raises concerns about player fatigue, the reduction in training camp and the exhibition season was appealing to players, leading them to approve the 84-game season in the new agreement.

How do the new long-term injured reserve rules work?

The strategy of using Long-Term Injured Reserve (LTIR) late in the season to free up salary cap space, only for the injured player to return for the playoffs, has been a tactic used by several teams since 2015, notably by Stanley Cup winners like Chicago (Patrick Kane, 2015), Tampa Bay (Nikita Kucherov, 2021), Vegas (Mark Stone, 2023), and Florida (Matthew Tkachuk, 2024). The league has investigated these instances but found no actionable violations, though an investigation into Edmonton`s use of LTIR for Evander Kane in the most recent postseason is ongoing.

NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly previously stated that the league would consider changing this practice if a majority of general managers supported it. Some players also expressed concerns about the salary cap loophole. NHLPA assistant executive director Ron Hainsey noted that addressing this loophole was a priority for the league in negotiations.

Under the new CBA, when using LTIR, the total salary and bonuses of replacement players added to the roster cannot exceed the amount of the player they are replacing. More significantly, the *average* salary of these replacement players cannot exceed the league`s average salary from the previous season. (For example, the average salary was $3,817,293 last season).

An exception allows teams to exceed these average amounts if the injured player is then ruled ineligible to return for the remainder of that season and the postseason, with NHL and NHLPA approval. To further deter the practice of exceeding the salary cap via LTIR manipulation for the playoffs, the new CBA introduces “playoff cap counting.”

What is `playoff cap counting` and how will it affect the postseason?

The new provision aims to prevent scenarios like the 2021 playoffs where the Tampa Bay Lightning, having used Nikita Kucherov`s LTIR space during the regular season, were perceived by opponents like the Carolina Hurricanes to be significantly “over the cap” when Kucherov returned for the postseason. Kucherov famously wore a “$18M OVER THE CAP” shirt during their Stanley Cup celebration.

Under the new “playoff cap counting” rule, teams must submit a roster of 18 skaters and two goaltenders to NHL Central Registry by a specified time before each playoff game. A “playoff playing roster averaged club salary” will be calculated for this submitted roster. This averaged salary must be below the team`s “upper limit,” which is the league-wide salary cap ceiling minus any specific cap penalties the team might have (buyouts, demoted players with one-way contracts, retained salary in trades, etc.).

While teams can modify their rosters after the deadline, they must clear changes with NHL Central Registry. The crucial point is that cap compliance is only required for the 20 players listed on the roster for that specific game. As one player agent put it, a team`s total roster salary once the playoffs start could be very high, but the salary of the 20 players dressed for a game must be cap-compliant.

These rules will be in effect for the first two seasons of the new CBA (2026-28). After this period, either the NHL or NHLPA can request discussions to modify these rules if concerns persist, though the current “playoff cap counting” would remain in place for 2028-29 if no resolution is reached.

Did the NHL CBA make neck guards mandatory?

Following Adam Johnson`s tragic death in October 2023 from a skate blade laceration during a game in England, various professional leagues and governing bodies have updated their equipment protection standards. The AHL, IIHF, and USA Hockey (for players under 18) have already mandated cut-resistant neck protection.

The new NHL-NHLPA CBA includes adjusted standards for neck protection. Starting with the 2026-27 season, players entering the league with zero prior NHL experience will be required to wear cut-resistant neck protection meeting a minimum protection score (A5 on the ANSI/ISEA 105-2016 standard). Players are encouraged to wear protection exceeding this minimum.

Players with existing NHL experience prior to the 2026-27 season will not be required to wear neck protection.

What`s the new player dress code?

A notable change in the new CBA is that teams are no longer permitted to propose any rules regarding player dress code. Under the previous agreement, the NHL was unique among major North American men`s pro leagues in having a dress code specified through collective bargaining, which typically required jackets, ties, and dress pants for games and travel unless exempted by coaching staff or management.

This specific rule has been removed from the new CBA. The only remaining requirement is that players must “dress in a manner that is consistent with contemporary fashion norms.”

So, while formal wear is no longer mandated, beachwear on game day is likely still discouraged.

Does the new CBA cover the Olympics beyond 2026?

Yes. The NHL and NHLPA have committed to participating in the 2030 Winter Olympics, planned for the French Alps. However, as is typical for these agreements, participation is contingent upon reaching acceptable terms with the IIHF and/or the IOC. As history has shown, a commitment within the CBA does not guarantee NHL player participation on Olympic ice, as seen with the 2022 Beijing Games.

Did the NHL end three-team salary retention trades?

The strategy of involving a third team to retain an additional portion of a player`s salary in a trade to help the acquiring team fit the contract under the cap has become common, particularly near the trade deadline. An example is the Yanni Gourde trade where Seattle retained salary, then Detroit retained more salary before trading him to Tampa Bay.

While the new CBA doesn`t eliminate retained salary transactions entirely, it imposes a restriction on subsequent retention. A second salary retention transaction for the same player cannot occur within 75 regular-season days of the first one. Days outside the regular season schedule do not count towards the 75-day period, meaning the restriction can span multiple seasons.

Can players now endorse alcoholic beverages?

Yes. The previous CBA included a ban on players endorsing or sponsoring alcoholic beverages. This prohibition has been removed in the new agreement. However, players remain prohibited from endorsements or sponsorships related to tobacco products and cannabis (including CBD) products, a restriction carried over from the prior CBA.

What are the new parameters for Emergency Goaltender Replacement?

The NHL is formalizing the role of the emergency backup goaltender (EBUG). Traditionally, this was a local individual available at the arena, ready to step in for either team if both their goalies became unavailable during a game. This was often a non-professional or former player living out a unique dream.

Under the new CBA, the EBUG role is given official status. This designated player will travel and practice exclusively with one specific club. However, there are criteria for who can fill this role:

• The individual cannot have played an NHL game under an NHL contract.
• They cannot have appeared in more than 80 professional hockey games.
• They must not have been involved in professional hockey within the previous three seasons.
• They cannot have any contractual obligation preventing them from serving as EBUG.
• They cannot be on the reserve or restricted free agent list of any NHL club.

Teams must submit their designated EBUG 48 hours before the regular season begins, or 24 hours before a game during the season if changes are made.

What`s the deal with eliminating deferred salaries?

The new collective bargaining agreement will prohibit teams from arranging for deferred salaries. This means players will receive their full compensation during the specified term lengths of their contracts. This change is intended to provide players with greater financial certainty and simplify contract structures for clubs. Previously, players and teams sometimes structured deals with large upfront signing bonuses or significant payouts at the contract`s end to manipulate the player`s cap hit over the life of the deal. This will no longer be a permissible negotiation tactic.

What`s different about contract lengths?

Beginning with the new CBA, the maximum duration of a player contract is changing. For a player re-signing with their current team, the maximum term will decrease from eight years to seven. If a player signs with a new team in free agency, the maximum term will be reduced from the current seven years to six.

For instance, a player finishing their entry-level contract can sign for a maximum of seven years only with their original team, potentially allowing them to reach unrestricted free agency earlier than under the previous agreement. This modification could benefit teams by reducing long-term commitments to contracts that might not perform as expected over time. For players, it could mean reaching free agency sooner, potentially preserving prime earning years if they wish to change clubs after a shorter tenure with their initial team (potentially a maximum of 10 seasons instead of 11).

What does the new league minimum salary look like? How does it compare to the other men`s professional leagues?

The new CBA includes a gradual increase in the minimum salary for an NHL player. It will rise from the current $775,000 to $1 million by the time the four-year agreement concludes. This represents a notable increase in a league where managing the salary cap presents unique challenges compared to others with significantly larger caps or different structures.

For context, the NHL`s salary cap is projected to rise to $95.5 million in 2025-26. In contrast, leagues like the NFL have players whose individual average annual salaries on large deals exceed the entire NHL cap. How does the NHL`s minimum salary at the end of the new CBA compare to other major North American men`s professional leagues?

In the NBA, the minimum salary for a rookie in the 2025-26 season is $1.4 million, while veterans with over 10 years of experience can earn over $3.997 million. The NBA has smaller rosters (maximum 15 players).

The NFL, with its larger 53-player rosters, will have a minimum salary of $840,000 for rookies in 2025, increasing to $1.255 million for veterans with over seven years of experience.

Major League Baseball`s CBA, set to expire after the 2026 season, has a minimum salary of $760,000 for 2025, increasing to $780,000 in 2026.

Is this Gary Bettman`s final CBA as commissioner?

This new agreement could potentially be the last for Gary Bettman as NHL commissioner. The Athletic reported in January that the board of governors had begun planning for his eventual retirement “in a couple of years” and started the process of identifying a successor.

Bettman, who became the NHL`s first commissioner in 1993, holds the distinction of being the longest-serving commissioner among the four major men`s professional sports leagues in North America. He is also the oldest, having turned 73 in June, whereas commissioners of the NFL, MLB, and NBA are all in their early to mid-60s.

However, there is historical precedent for commissioners serving into their 70s. For example, Ford Frick served as MLB commissioner until age 71, David Stern led the NBA until age 71, and Bud Selig retired as MLB commissioner at age 80. Therefore, while planning for a successor is underway, it`s not definitive that this CBA will be Bettman`s final one.