NHL Positive About Negotiations for New CBA Set to Start in 2025

Gary Bettman, Commissioner of the National Hockey League (NHL), exudes optimism about the upcoming collective bargaining agreement (CBA) discussions with the players, set to begin in 2025. The current CBA is valid until September 15, 2026. Bettman announced this plan during the NHL board of governors’ meeting held in New York on Tuesday.

Early Talks to Maintain Harmonious Relations

The Commissioner believes that starting negotiations well in advance of the expiration of the current CBA will maintain harmony. “We believe we have a strong rapport and starting discussions early will keep it that way,” he conveyed.

Martin “Marty” Walsh, the executive director of the NHL Players’ Association (NHLPA), is currently touring all 32 teams to understand their expectations from the upcoming CBA. This will be Walsh’s first negotiation since he took over from Don Fehr in 2023.

No Speculations on the Speed of Agreement

Bettman refrained from making any presumptions about how fast a deal might be reached. He noted that everyone would be pleased if an agreement were reached by the Stanley Cup Final’s media availability. Nonetheless, he emphasized that there are no set timelines for the negotiations, and they will unfold at their own pace.

Potential Changes in the NHL Schedule

The potential changes to the NHL’s schedule are likely to be a significant topic of discussion in the upcoming CBA negotiations. Bettman highlighted that the owners are considering reducing the number of pre-season games and extending the NHL’s regular 82-game season.

Possibility of an Extended Season

In December 2022, insiders revealed to ESPN that the league had considered extending the season to 84 games to promote more regional rivalry matchups. The NHL has been exploring alternatives to the current schedule following concerns raised by some teams about an uneven number of divisional games against rivals.

Other Board of Governors’ Meeting Highlights

Other points of interest from the board meeting included a very early salary cap estimate for the 2025-26 season, set at $92.5 million, up from this season’s $88 million. Additionally, the NHL and the NHLPA have granted a special exception to the Columbus Blue Jackets to begin the season under the $65 million salary floor due to the tragic passing of star forward Johnny Gaudreau in August.

The league confirmed that the exception will extend for a “reasonable timeframe,” the exact duration of which will depend on the circumstances.

Bettman also clarified that there were no discussions about further NHL expansion at the meeting. “There has been interest from various quarters, but nothing has changed since the last time this topic was addressed,” he concluded.