The NHL owners and the players’ association signed a four-year collective bargaining agreement on Tuesday. The agreement will take effect in the 2026-27 season.

The exact collective bargaining agreement is not yet public, but The Athletic has received information from its sources about several significant changes.

Starting from the 2026-27 season, the NHL will have an 84-game regular season. Previously, the regular season has been 82 games long.

The change in the regular season means a reduction in the number of preseason games and a shortening of the training camp.

Another major reform is that the salary cap will now also apply to the playoffs. Previously, the salary cap only applied to the regular season, which led to various manipulations regarding the salary cap.

Teams were previously able to assemble a playoff roster that significantly exceeded the salary cap – as the championship team Florida Panthers did last spring.

Furthermore, the maximum length of contracts for free agents remains six years, and the maximum length for extensions is seven years. Previously, free agents could sign a seven-year contract, and extensions could be a maximum of eight years long.

The dress code related to game events will also be removed in connection with the employment contract.

The upcoming NHL season will still be played under the old rules agreed upon in 2020.

NHL Public Relations

@NHLPR
NHL, NHLPA ratify four-year collective bargaining agreement. media.nhl.com/public/news/19…
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4:01 PM · Jul 8, 2025

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