An 84-game season is coming to the NHL as part of an extension of the collective bargaining agreement, which is expected to be announced as soon as Friday before the first round of the draft.
The league and the NHL Players' Association are on the verge of reaching a deal that two people told The Associated Press on Thursday includes adding two games to the regular season, shortening the maximum length of contracts players can sign and implementing a salary cap in the playoffs for the first time. They scheduled a joint news conference for 1 p.m. EDT in Los Angeles in advance of the first round of the draft.
The NHL and NHLPA began negotiations in earnest this spring after agreeing at the 4 Nations Face-Off in February to jointly hold a World Cup of Hockey in 2028. With revenue breaking records annually and the cap increasing exponentially in the coming years, Commissioner Gary Bettman and union executive director Marty Walsh voiced optimism about reaching an agreement quickly. There were no disagreements on a host of major issues like in previous bargaining talks.
The extension through 2030 provides the sport extended labor peace since the last lockout in 2012-13, which shortened that season to 48 games. Here is what is changing:
Longer season