According to several media reports, another significant change from the current CBA will see the maximum length of contracts reduced by one season, so a player re-signing with his current team will be able to sign for up to seven years, while players signing with a new team as a free agent on or after July 1 can sign for up to six.
The current CBA, which was signed in 2013 and extended in 2020, expires Sept. 15, 2026. The extension would begin the following day and go through Sept. 15, 2030.
The NHL and NHLPA will require ratification from their respective boards before the CBA extension becomes official.
“When I first started this job 2 1/2 years ago, we talked about collective bargaining,” Walsh said. “… We talked about the 4 Nations (Face-Off), we talked about the OIympics, we talked about the World Cup and all the great things happening in the sport. We thought that it would be good to get this conversation moving. … The process for us now is to take this agreement to the entire membership for ratification; we’re going to do that over the next week or so.
“… I’m happy with the process. Hopefully, the players will be happy with the outcome.”
Reaching an agreement for an extension more than 14 months before the current CBA is set to expire speaks volumes for the working relationship between the two sides.
The announcement came two days after Bettman provided the NHL Board of Governors an extensive report on the CBA negotiations and hours ahead of the start of the 2025 Upper Deck NHL Draft at Peacock Theater (7 p.m. ET; ESPN, ESPN+, SN, TVAS).