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The NHL and NHL Players’ Association are finalizing a four-year collective bargaining agreement extension, set to begin in 2026-27, ensuring labor peace until 2030. The deal, pending ratification, includes an 84-game regular season and a shortened four-game preseason.
Key changes involve reducing maximum player contract lengths to seven years for re-signings and six for free agents, eliminating deferred-salary contracts, and introducing a playoff salary cap to close the LTIR loophole. Teams can also carry a full-time emergency backup goalie.
The memorandum of understanding is expected to be announced before the NHL Draft, with no major changes to the league’s financial system.
