Let's Talk About The New CBA

I'm finally bored enough with free agency to unpack the NHL's new four-year collective bargaining agreement.

Happy Monday, hockey fans.

*Looks to the left*

*Looks to the right*

*Looks directly at Ken Holland*

Are we done, here?

*Nudges Steve Yzerman just to be sure*

Is it safe to say the biggest moves of this dud of a free agency period are done? I’d certainly classify this week as the start of the dog days of the NHL offseason. And much like summer break back in the day, the way hockey fans experience the start of these dog days varies.

Some of us are already decompressing at the cottage with a Bobby Margarita (congrats on the retirement) in hand. Some of us are still frantically checking our phones hoping our teams invented a new free agent to sign.

If you’re anything like me, you like to linger a bit and wrap up some loose ends before taking a break* and gearing up for next season.

*Taking a break from hockey news won’t be taking a break from this newsletter. I’m actually really excited to branch out in July and August with some more creative writing. I’ll be writing a few longer pieces, exploring some overarching hockey culture topics, and branching out from hockey with different topics like internet culture, music, and the sports media business. I hope you will stick around and even give me some feedback!

The most glaring loose end on my “end of hockey season To-Do list” is the new four-year collective bargaining agreement that was ratified last week. It passed by a majority vote from the NHL’s Board of Governors and the NHL Players’ Association, and it went smoother than we’re used to when it comes to labor disputes and the NHL.

The fact that the new CBA, taking effect in September 2026 and expiring after the 2029-30 season, was ratified 14 months before the current CBA expires is telling in itself. What made for such a swift and drama-free agreement? What big changes can we expect when it takes effect at the start of the 2026 season? Here’s everything you need to know about the newly ratified CBA before you head off to summer camp.

The Big Wins

Two more regular season games

You heard that right, folks. The regular season is extending from 82 to 84 games. Look, I liked the regular season length the way it was, and if I ruled the world I might even reduce it to 80 games.

The real story within the story here is that they’re taking those two games from the preseason, which I couldn’t be more on board with. According to The Athletic’s Chris Johnston, each team will be limited to four exhibition games, and players with 100 or more career NHL games will be capped at two exhibition games. Training camp, which is typically 4,000 years long (21 days), will also be significantly shortened: 13 days for established players, 18 days for rookies.

CJ also reports that the current idea is to start the regular season in late September and have the Stanley Cup awarded by June 21. These are relatively small changes, but they’re changes in the right direction. Plus, if I’m gonna risk injury, it’d better count towards my stats.

Increased Playoff Fund

Did you know that NHL players don’t technically get paid their salaries in the postseason? Instead, they’ve historically used a playoff fund the league doled out based on shared hockey-related revenue, split 50-50 between the league and the players. In one of the biggest labor wins of the new CBA, the league has agreed to increase this fund — and pay players off-share.

The fund is expected to almost double from $24 million to $40 million, increasing incrementally by the year.

It cannot be understated how crucial bringing in an actual labor expert in Marty Walsh was to lead the NHLPA in not only negotiating things like this, but for making players aware that it is their right to negotiate for this in the first place.

There were some enlightening player quotes about this exactly in The Athletic: “I never think about pay in the playoffs,” a Stanley Cup-winning forward said. “More money is always better, but when you’re in the playoffs you don’t think about money. Maybe we should.”

This made me physically smile. Yes, you are an employee doing a job. It’s your right to think about money. You have more power than you’ve been led to believe, and it’s great to see you realize this, Stanley Cup-winning forward.

Increased Minimum Salary