The National Hockey League (NHL) and the National Hockey League Players’ Association (NHLPA) have agreed to a four-year extension of their Collective Bargaining Agreement, avoiding a potential lockout. The new deal will run through the 2029-30 season and take effect on September 16, 2026.
According to NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman, the agreement provides a sense of stability and certainty for both the league and its players. “On all aspects of the business, whether it’s how you construct your team and looking at salary caps, players anticipating what types of contracts they can negotiate, what we do with our business partners… it gives everybody a sense of optimism that everything is going well,” Bettman said.
NHLPA executive director Marty Walsh praised the agreement as a result of “open dialogue” between the league and the players. The deal was reached more than 14 months before the current Collective Bargaining Agreement expires on September 15, 2026. Walsh noted that this extended timeline allowed for a thorough discussion of key issues.
Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly emphasized the importance of presenting the agreement to the Board of Governors and seeking feedback from the league’s leadership. The NHLPA will present the deal to its membership in the coming week, providing time for players to review the terms before a formal vote.
The four-year extension comes after the current Collective Bargaining Agreement was signed in 2013 and extended in 2020. It marks another milestone in the growth of the sport, with recent successes including the “4 Nations” initiative and participation in international competitions like the Olympics and World Cup.
Source: https://www.nhl.com/news/nhl-nhlpa-agree-on-4-year-extension-to-cba