NHL, NHLPA Reportedly Agree to 84-Game Season, Contract Rules, More In CBA Talks

The NHL reportedly will be in for some changes soon.

According to Chris Johnston and Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic, the NHL and NHL Players' Association agreed to the key framework for a new collective bargaining agreement, including an 84-game schedule starting in 2026-27 and new contractual rules.

Johnston and LeBrun noted that the memorandum of understanding has not yet been signed, but the NHL and NHLPA were meeting about it on Thursday and are likely to announce a new four-year extension before the NHL draft on Friday, "barring any snags." The current deal expires on Sept. 15, 2026, and the new deal would run until 2030.

The NHL currently plays an 82-game regular season, so it will shorten the preseason to four games for each team when the 84-game schedule is introduced in 2026-27.

The new contract rules include "a one-year reduction on the maximum length of player contracts — down to seven years for players re-signing with their own teams prior to free agency and six for those signed in free agency," per Johnston and LeBrun. The new CBA will also do away with deferred-salary contracts.

The new CBA will also introduce a new playoff salary cap system and a new provision that allows teams to carry a full-time emergency backup goalie. Johnston and LeBrun added that the deal "doesn’t include major changes to the league’s financial system."

The NHL and NHLPA began negotiations for a new CBA in April, so the two sides will surely be pleased with how quickly they were able to reach an agreement on a new deal.