The NHL Players’ Association and the league’s Board of Governors have officially ratified a four-year collective bargaining agreement that will run through the 2029-30 season, the sides announced Tuesday.
Terms for the new CBA were agreed to on June 27, prior to the respective ratification votes, which were required to pass. The negotiations were quick, coming to an end well over a year before the current CBA expires on Sept. 15, 2026. The updated provisions will not go into effect until then.
“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,” NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said in a release. “We are grateful to the Board of Governors for its support of this agreement that strengthens our game and ensures we are collectively delivering a great fan experience in the years to come.”
Full details of the deal will be available at a later date, but league sources have confirmed several major changes — the most notable of which is a shift to an 84-game regular season beginning in 2026-27. To accommodate this increase, the preseason schedule will be limited to only four games and training camp will be shortened.
The new CBA includes increases to the minimum salary and the players’ playoff fund. It also includes a new playoff salary-cap system that closes the long-term injured reserve loophole. On the ice, cut-resistant neck guards will be mandatory for all players entering the league starting with the 2026-27 season. Off the ice, teams will no longer be permitted to enforce a dress code for the players before games.
The CBA also makes several tweaks to player contracts. It will shorten the maximum length contract to only six years on the open market and seven years if a player re-signs with their current team, both one year shorter than the current limits. It also standardizes draft-retention rights, whether a draft pick plays in the CHL, Europe or NCAA; eliminates contracts with deferred payments; and curbs front-loaded contracts.
“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. That is a win for everyone,” NHLPA executive director Marty Walsh said in a release. “We could not have achieved this outcome without the involvement and support of our players. Special thanks to our Executive Board and Negotiating Committee.”
With the new deal, the league will avoid a work stoppage for at least the next five seasons. It comes some two weeks after the sides finalized the memorandum of understanding and announced the agreement, following what both described as a uniquely amicable bargaining process.
“Compared to other negotiations I’ve been part of — and I’ve been part of an awful lot of them — this was real different,” Walsh told reporters then. “Very open dialogue. Even the complicated issues that might have come up were given complete thought on both sides, and we were able to get to some good resolutions here. Happy with the process and hopefully the players will be happy with the outcome.”
Added Bettman: “To say that this was a little different, from my standpoint, I assure you this was completely different, and that’s again a testament to the tone (Marty) set. It was the ultimate team effort on both sides.”
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