The hockey world recently breathed a collective sigh of relief as the National Hockey League and the NHL Players` Association ratified a new collective bargaining agreement. This accord extends labor peace through the conclusion of the 2029-30 season, a significant achievement for a league that has historically faced disruptive work stoppages. While the continuity itself is paramount, the agreement introduces several notable changes that will shape the game`s future, both on and off the ice.
A New Timeline and Schedule
The new CBA is slated to commence on September 16, 2026, and will govern the league`s operations until September 15, 2030. This four-year extension, following the current agreement`s end after the 2025-26 season, marks a swift resolution, ensuring five years of stable operations. It also represents the first major negotiation milestone for NHLPA head Marty Walsh since assuming his role in 2023.
Perhaps the most discussed change is the shift to an **84-game regular season**. This expands the current 82-game schedule and is coupled with a reduced preseason slate, capped at a maximum of four games per team. The functional motivation behind this adjustment appears to be a desire to even out the divisional schedule and replace lower-revenue exhibition games with higher-revenue regular-season contests. While two extra games might raise concerns about player fatigue over a grueling season, the players` agreement, reportedly appealing due to the shorter training camp and preseason, greenlights this shift.
Contract Structures and Financial Plumbing
The new CBA also brings changes to player contracts. The maximum term length for a contract signed with a player`s current team will decrease from eight years to **seven years**. For players signing with a new club in free agency, the maximum term drops from seven years to **six years**. This adjustment could offer teams slightly more flexibility, potentially reducing the long-term risk associated with lengthy deals that don`t age well, while also providing players with an opportunity to hit unrestricted free agency sooner in their careers than previously possible under maximum-term contracts.
Another key financial change is the **prohibition of deferred salary arrangements**. Under the new rules, players will receive their compensation fully within the lifespan of the contract term. This move aims to simplify contract structures and potentially offer players greater financial certainty, preventing complex payout schemes that could previously be structured to lower average annual cap hits.
On the compensation floor, the league minimum salary is set to **increase gradually to $1 million** by the end of the agreement in 2029-30. While still lower than the minimums in leagues like the NBA, this represents a significant bump within the context of the NHL`s salary cap system, which poses unique financial challenges compared to leagues with dramatically higher revenue ceilings.
Addressing the LTIR Loophole: A Playoff Cap Introduction
For years, teams have utilized Long-Term Injured Reserve (LTIR) in ways that have generated controversy, particularly regarding players returning from injury just in time for the playoffs, allowing teams to exceed the salary cap during the regular season trade deadline and then field a more expensive roster in the postseason. Notable examples, while investigated and deemed permissible under prior rules, fueled a desire for change.
The new CBA implements stricter rules around using LTIR. One key provision limits the total salary and bonuses of players acquired as replacements for an injured player on LTIR to the amount of the injured player`s salary and bonuses. Furthermore, the average amounts of these replacement players cannot exceed the previous season`s average league salary, effectively capping the combined value of players brought in using LTIR space.
More significantly, the agreement introduces **”playoff cap counting”**. For the first two seasons (2026-28), teams will be required to submit a cap-compliant roster of 18 skaters and 2 goaltenders before each playoff game. This roster`s “averaged club salary” must fall below the team`s applicable upper salary limit (accounting for buyouts, retained salary, etc.). This mechanism is a direct response to concerns about teams effectively circumventing the salary cap in the postseason. Interestingly, this particular provision can be reopened for renegotiation after two seasons if either party raises concerns, but it remains in effect if no modifications are agreed upon.
Player Protection and Professional Image
In a move reflecting heightened safety concerns, the new CBA mandates **cut-resistant neck protection** for players entering the league for the first time starting with the 2026-27 season. Players with prior NHL experience before this date are exempt from this requirement. This change follows recent tragic incidents and aligns the NHL with adjustments being made in other hockey leagues globally, setting a minimum safety standard.
Adding a touch of modern sensibility, the traditional, often rigid, player **dress code has been eliminated**. Gone are the days of mandatory jackets, ties, and dress pants for games and travel unless explicitly waived by team management. Players are now simply required to “dress in a manner that is consistent with contemporary fashion norms.” So, while suits aren`t strictly required, one can probably assume toga parties on game day are still off the table – because, well, contemporary norms.
Player endorsement rules have also been updated. Players are now permitted to engage in **sponsorships with alcoholic beverage companies**, a ban lifted from the previous agreement. However, endorsements for tobacco products and, notably, cannabis (including CBD) products remain prohibited.
Olympics, Trades, and the EBUG`s Promotion
The agreement includes a commitment from both the NHL and NHLPA to participate in the **2030 Winter Olympics** in the French Alps. As is customary, this commitment is conditional, subject to reaching acceptable terms with the IIHF and IOC. The experience with the 2022 Beijing Games serves as a reminder that even a CBA commitment doesn`t guarantee NHL players on Olympic ice.
A minor but significant change addresses the complex world of trades, specifically salary retention. While retaining salary remains permissible, the new CBA introduces a mandatory **75-regular-season-day waiting period** before a player`s salary can be retained in a second transaction. This aims to curb the recent trend of three-team trades designed solely to maximize salary retention on a single player.
Finally, the much-celebrated, often fictionalized, role of the **Emergency Backup Goaltender (EBUG)** has been formalized. No longer will the EBUG spot necessarily fall to whoever happens to be in the arena with their gear. The new CBA establishes a full-time EBUG position for each team. This designated individual will practice and travel with the club but must meet specific criteria, including not having played an NHL game on an NHL contract, having limited professional experience (under 80 games), not having been in professional hockey within the previous three seasons, and not being tied to another NHL club. The EBUG is officially part of the team, even if their game time is expected to remain exceedingly rare. It`s a small change, perhaps, but one that adds a layer of structure and recognition to a unique role.
Looking Ahead
The new NHL-NHLPA CBA represents a comprehensive update to the league`s operational framework. It prioritizes labor stability while introducing targeted changes to address scheduling quirks, contract trends, financial strategies like LTIR use, player safety, and even the public image of the players. As the league prepares to navigate this next chapter, these revisions lay the groundwork for the game`s evolution through the end of the decade.
