NHL and the players' union have discussed going to an 84-game season in CBA talks, AP source says
NHL commissioner Gary Bettman, left, hands the Stanley Cup to Florida Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov (16) after defeating the Edmonton Oilers in Game 6 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Final Tuesday, June 17, 2025, in Sunrise, Fla. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
NHL commissioner Gary Bettman, left, hands the Stanley Cup to Florida Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov (16) after defeating the Edmonton Oilers in Game 6 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Final Tuesday, June 17, 2025, in Sunrise, Fla. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
NHL commissioner Gary Bettman, left, hands the Stanley Cup to Florida Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov (16) after defeating the Edmonton Oilers in Game 6 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Final Tuesday, June 17, 2025, in Sunrise, Fla. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
Moving to an 84-game regular season from 82 is one of the topics that has been discussed in collective bargaining talks between the NHL and the NHL Players' Association, according to a person familiar with negotiations.
The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Wednesday because the subjects involved in CBA discussions are not being revealed publicly by either side.
Advertisement
The potential change that could go into effect as soon as 2026-27 would reduce the preseason to four games per team. It is among the several tweaks the league and union are talking about, a list that is believed to also include contract terms and long-term injury rules.
Going to 84 games could also even out scheduling with the league at 32 teams playing each division opponent four times, three against the other division in the same conference and two against those in the other conference. It could alternatively lead to more rivalry games.
Commissioner Gary Bettman told reporters in Los Angeles that the Board of Governors received a substantial update on the state of negotiations. Bettman said any agreement would be subject to ratification by the board.
Bettman and NHLPA executive director Marty Walsh said at the Stanley Cup Final voiced optimism about the situation. Bettman said they were 'in really good shape, having really good discussions.' Walsh said: 'It's moving forward and I feel good with where we are and we'll see what happens.'
Advertisement
The current CBA does not expire until September 2026, so there is no tight deadline to work with along with a lack of major issues to confront where the sides are far apart.
The NHL had an 84-game regular season from 1992-94, with the league and union agreeing to add to two neutral-site games for each team.
___
AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
14 minutes ago
- Yahoo
How to watch Juventus vs Man City FOR FREE: TV Channel and live stream for Club World Cup today
Off the mark: Rayan Cherki will be looking to fire Man City to top spot in Group G tonight (Getty Images) Juventus and Manchester City will do battle tonight for the right to top Group G in the Club World Cup. As expected, both clubs have made light work of Wydad Casablanca and Al Ain. Each side has picked maximum points from their first two games and have the same goal difference of +8. Advertisement However, Juventus hold a slight advantage. Having scored nine goals compared to City's eight, it means they will qualify for the knockout stages as group winners if they can avoid defeat at the Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Florida. Therefore, this is a must-win game for Pep Guardiola's side. Failure to do so would put them at risk of facing Real Madrid in the round of 16 and the Premier League giants don't need reminding of how previous meetings against Los Blancos have gone. An intriguing showdown awaits tonight with the guarantee of at least one 100 percent winning record coming to an end. Here's everything you need to know about how to watch this one unfold... How to watch Juventus vs Man City TV channel: In the UK, the game will not be televised live. Advertisement Live stream: Viewers can also watch the action live online via the DAZN website, which is free with a registration. Kick-off is at 8pm BST. DAZN is the global broadcaster of the new-look Club World Cup. No subscription is required to watch the game, with the entire tournament available to their 'Freemium' members, which means you only need to sign up for a free DAZN account.
Yahoo
17 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Flyers Miss Out On Egregious J.J. Peterka Trade
The Flyers were rumored to be interested in J.J. Peterka. (Photo: Kyle Ross, Imagn Images) Yeah, the Philadelphia Flyers can't simply go out and trade for everyone they want, but the J.J. Peterka trade between the Buffalo Sabres and Utah Mammoth will leave many fans scratching their heads. Advertisement On Wednesday night, multiple reports indicated that the Mammoth and Sabres had agreed to a swap of players, with Peterka heading to Utah and forward Josh Doan and defenseman Michael Kesselring heading to Buffalo. Immediately after, it was reported that Peterka agreed to a five-year contract with the Mammoth worth $7.7 million annually. Peterka, 23, scored a career-high 68 points this season in addition to 27 goals. The young German isn't much of a power play producer and is equal parts defensive liability and speed demon. All in all, Peterka is a buccaneering player with some warts, but also dynamite offensive potential that allows him to turn games on their heads in a flash - literally. Advertisement Peterka had previously been linked to Philadelphia in some very recent Flyers trade rumors, though the price was said to be too great. Flyers Have New Trade-Up Possibility in NHL Draft Flyers Have New Trade-Up Possibility in NHL Draft If the Philadelphia Flyers wish to move up in the first round of the 2025 NHL Draft, the Los Angeles Kings have presented them a golden opportunity to do so. Well, unless the Flyers were adamant about not giving up a specific player, the price really wasn't that great. Doan will become a good middle-six winger at his peak, though his true ceiling in terms of production remains questionable. Kesselring is who he is: a big, 6-foot-5 right-shot defender, which the Sabres need, and a player with good underlying analytics at that. Advertisement After the Trevor Zegras trade, the Flyers didn't get greedy with Peterka, though the price, at least on the surface, appeared to be more than reasonable. Hypothetically, if the Flyers traded for and signed Peterka in addition to Zegras, they'd still have roughly $7.3 million in remaining cap space to sign Cam York and Jakob Pelletier. And that's with Ivan Fedotov still on the NHL roster and Ryan Ellis not on LTIR. Given Peterka's player profile, it's likely the Flyers see Owen Tippett as their own version of him, and they've already invested in Tippett with an eight-year, $49.6 million deal. Advertisement The big difference is that Tippett, who is, in fairness, much more physical, has yet to flirt with 60 points, while the younger Peterka nearly reached 70 points playing on the disaster that was the Buffalo Sabres this season. Regardless of if it's Tippett or Peterka, the Flyers, now led by a new voice in Rick Tocchet, still need to find ways to coax more consistency out of their rush-dependent forwards. If they can't, it doesn't matter which players they trade for and how cheap they came on the NHL trade market.
CBS News
18 minutes ago
- CBS News
Yamamoto throws 5 sharp innings before rain delay, Muncy hits grand slam as Dodgers beat Rockies 8-1
Max Muncy had a grand slam and drove in six runs, Yoshinobu Yamamoto allowed one hit over five scoreless innings before exiting after a rain delay and the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Colorado Rockies 8-1 on Wednesday night. Muncy's blast in the seventh was his eighth career grand slam. Michael Conforto homered for a second straight game, and Shohei Ohtani reached base four times, including a single, two walks (one intentional) and a catcher's interference call. The game was halted by a downpour in the sixth inning and right after Muncy hit a two-run single courtesy of an infield popup that was lost in the raindrops. Second baseman Thairo Estrada called for the ball before covering his head. The ball landed next to first baseman Michael Toglia. The tarp was then rolled out with the score 3-0. It proved to be one pitch too late for Colorado. The wait proved to be too long for Yamamoto, who didn't return after a delay of 1 hour, 27 minutes. Yamamoto (7-6) surrendered only a single to Sam Hilliard in the third and a walk to Estrada in the fifth. This was an efficient outing for Yamamoto, who threw 39 of his 56 pitches for strikes. He finished with six strikeouts. Rockies rookie Chase Dollander (2-8) went 5 2/3 innings and allowed three runs. Key moment Dodgers reliever Alex Vesia struck out Ryan McMahon with a slider to end the sixth with two on in a 3-1 game. Key stat The Dodgers have won nine straight over the Rockies, including five in a row this season. Up next Dodgers left-hander Clayton Kershaw (3-0, 3.31) is eight strikeouts away from reaching 3,000 for his career heading into his start Thursday against Colorado. The Rockies will throw lefty Austin Gomber (0-1, 8.38).
