NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman and NHLPA Executive Director Marty Walsh had hinted earlier in the month that they were nearing a deal.
On Friday, the NHL and the NHL Players` Association officially confirmed the agreement, ensuring that the sport of hockey will experience labor stability for at least another five years.
The league and the union announced that they have agreed to extend their collective bargaining agreement (CBA) through the 2029-30 season.
The NHL and NHLPA, who signed a memorandum of understanding following discussions that began in the spring, unveiled the agreement ahead of the first round of the league`s draft.
Bettman commented on the extension, which still requires ratification from both sides, stating, “While we didn’t agree on everything, we had a very constructive, professional, collaborative collective-bargaining process. We identified the issues that were important.”
Walsh, who has been the NHLPA executive director since February 2023, noted that the two parties reached “good resolutions” during negotiations.
Speaking at a morning press conference at the Peacock Theater before the draft`s opening round, he expressed satisfaction with the process and his hope that “the players will be happy with the outcome.”
Both the league and the union had previously characterized the talks as positive, a notable departure from the historical disputes that have plagued the sport and resulted in numerous work stoppages, including the lockout that led to the cancellation of the entire 2004-05 season.
Reports suggest that, in addition to extending the regular season to 84 games per team and reducing exhibition play, the CBA will include provisions for shorter maximum contract lengths and the introduction of a playoff salary cap.
However, both Bettman and Walsh were reluctant to share extensive details about the NHL-NHLPA document, as the ratification votes are still pending.
Regarding the expanded regular season, Bettman said, “That’s been widely rumoured… That’s certainly one of the things that was a topic of discussion.”
Walsh indicated that agreeing to a term through the 2029-30 season was appropriate for his membership.
He emphasized the importance of incorporating the perspectives of the current generation of players, noting that a lengthy negotiation “would have had a lot of players that hadn’t gone through (the 2012-13 negotiation) and hadn’t gone through negotiations in the past.”
