Latest news with #NHLPlayersAssociation
New York Post
9 hours ago
- Business
- New York Post
Longer season, end of EBUG coming as part of advanced NHL CBA talks
The NHL and NHL Players Association are in the advanced stages of negotiations on a four-year extension of the Collective Bargaining Agreement, according to multiple reports Thursday. Among the most notable changes, the new deal would extend the regular season to 84 games, establish a full-time emergency backup goalie position and limit player contract lengths to seven years, according to ESPN. NHL commissioner Gary Bettman reportedly gave the board of governors an update on everything at a meeting in Los Angeles on Wednesday ahead of the NHL draft this weekend. 3 NHL commissioner Gary Bettman, back left, listens as NHL Players Association executive director Marty Walsh speaks at the Stanley Cup Final. AP With the current CBA set to expire after the 2025-26 season, a four-year extension would run through September 2030. This also marks the first major negotiation for NHLPA executive director Marty Walsh, who took over the NHLPA in March 2023. The new CBA, which could be finalized and announced as soon as Friday, will take the NHL regular-season schedule from 82 to 84 games. As a result, the preseason slate would be shortened from six to four contests, according to ESPN. In addition to a cap of seven years on contract lengths, the deal will also eliminate deferred salary — a contract structure that was becoming increasingly popular. One-time Ranger Frank Vatrano recently signed a three-year, $18 million extension with the Ducks that carried a significant portion of deferred salary. The contract will pay Vatrano $3 million in each of the next three seasons, with the remaining $9 million in deferred salary beginning in 2035. Players are currently allowed to re-sign for eight years with their current team or seven years in free agency. 3 NHL commissioner Gary Bettman speaks to the media during the Stanley Cup Final. Getty Images The new CBA says players can re-sign for a maximum of seven years with their current team and six years in free agency. Emergency backup goaltenders have provided the NHL with some feel-good stories, such as 42-year-old David Ayres backstopping the Hurricanes to a win in February 2020. The new deal would have teams bring on a full-time EBUG who can practice and travel with the team, according to ESPN. 3 A view inside Bell Centre during the NHL Stanley Cup playoffs. NHLI via Getty Images ESPN's report also says both sides are discussing the elimination of the long-term injured reserve loophole that certain teams have utilized in recent years. It would ensure teams are salary cap compliant in the playoffs, with revised language surrounding the topic expected in the new CBA. Additionally, a 50-50 split of hockey-related revenue between players and owners is expected to be maintained.
Globe and Mail
15 hours ago
- Business
- Globe and Mail
NHL, NHLPA are reportedly close to new collective bargaining agreement
The NHL and NHL Players' Association are on the verge of extending the collective bargaining agreement more than a year before it expires and expanding the regular season to 84 games. The league and union have been in talks since April and are closing in on a memorandum of understanding addressing a number of high-profile topics long before the current agreement runs out in September 2026. The extension that could be announced as soon as Friday at the draft in Los Angeles would provide extended labour peace in a sport that has had multiple work stoppages, including the 2004-05 lockout that wiped out an entire season. The league and union closing in on a deal was confirmed Thursday by three people familiar with the negotiations who spoke with The Associated Press on condition on anonymity because the deal had not yet been finalized. It was first reported by Daily Faceoff. Two of the people said the new CBA will increase the regular season to 84 games from 82, shorten the maximum length of contracts and add a playoff salary cap for the first time. Extending the regular season from a total of 1,312 games to 1,344 would also come with curtailing exhibition play. Since 2013, players have been able to re-sign with their own team for up to eight years and sign with another for up to seven years. Under the new CBA terms, each would be reduced by a year, to seven for re-signing and six for changing teams. A salary cap in the postseason would prevent teams from using long-term injured reserve rules to load up their rosters. Currently, teams with players on LTIR can exceed the cap by roughly the amount of the players' salaries until the playoffs begin. The option has been used, for example, by Chicago (Patrick Kane in 2015), Tampa Bay (Nikita Kucherov in 2021) and the Vegas Golden Knights (Mark Stone in multiple seasons) during their playoff runs. NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman and NHLPA executive director Marty Walsh foreshadowed a quick conclusion to labour talks speaking at the Stanley Cup Final earlier in June. Bettman said the sides were 'in really good shape, having really good discussions,' and Walsh added that talks were 'moving forward, and I feel good with where we are.' A full, new CBA would be the first since 2013. The league and the union have been working on the memorandum negotiated in 2020 to finish that season during the pandemic and would meld that agreement with the framework from 12 years ago.
CBC
15 hours ago
- Business
- CBC
NHL and NHLPA nearing agreement on a new CBA that includes 84-game season: reports
The NHL and NHL Players' Association are on the verge of extending the collective bargaining agreement more than a year before it expires and expanding the regular season to 84 games. The league and union have been in talks since April and are closing in on a memorandum of understanding addressing a number of high-profile topics long before the current agreement runs out in September 2026. The extension that could be announced as soon as Friday at the draft in Los Angeles would provide extended labor peace in a sport that has had multiple work stoppages, including the 2004-05 lockout that wiped out an entire season. The league and union closing in on a deal was confirmed Thursday by three people familiar with the negotiations who spoke with The Associated Press on condition on anonymity because the deal had not yet been finalized. It was first reported by Daily Faceoff. Two of the people said the new CBA will increase the regular season to 84 games from 82, shorten the maximum length of contracts and add a playoff salary cap for the first time. Extending the regular season from a total of 1,312 games to 1,344 would also come with curtailing exhibition play. A salary cap in the postseason would prevent teams from using long-term injured reserve rules to load up their rosters. Currently, teams with players on LTIR can exceed the cap by roughly the amount of the players' salaries until the playoffs begin. The option has been used, for example, by Chicago (Patrick Kane in 2015), Tampa Bay (Nikita Kucherov in 2021) and the Vegas Golden Knights (Mark Stone in multiple seasons) during their playoff runs. NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman and NHLPA executive director Marty Walsh foreshadowed a quick conclusion to labor talks speaking at the Stanley Cup Final earlier in June. Bettman said the sides were "in really good shape, having really good discussions," and Walsh added that talks were "moving forward, and I feel good with where we are." A full, new CBA would be the first since 2013. The league and the union have been working on the memorandum negotiated in 2020 to finish that season during the pandemic and would meld that agreement with the framework from 12 years ago.
National Post
16 hours ago
- Business
- National Post
NHL, NHLPA close to agreeing on a new collective bargaining agreement: Sources
The NHL and NHL Players' Association are on the verge of extending the collective bargaining agreement more than a year before it expires and expanding the regular season to 84 games. Article content The league and union have been in talks since April and are closing in on a memorandum of understanding addressing a number of high-profile topics long before the current agreement runs out in September 2026. The extension that could be announced as soon as Friday at the draft in Los Angeles would provide extended labor peace in a sport that has had multiple work stoppages, including the 2004-05 lockout that wiped out an entire season. Article content Article content Article content The league and union closing in on a deal was confirmed Thursday by three people familiar with the negotiations who spoke with The Associated Press on condition on anonymity because the deal had not yet been finalized. It was first reported by Daily Faceoff. Article content Two of the people said the new CBA will increase the regular season to 84 games from 82, shorten the maximum length of contracts and add a playoff salary cap for the first time. Extending the regular season from a total of 1,312 games to 1,344 would also come with curtailing exhibition play. Article content Since 2013, players have been able to re-sign with their own team for up to eight years and sign with another for up to seven years. Under the new CBA terms, each would be reduced by a year, to seven for re-signing and six for changing teams. Article content A salary cap in the postseason would prevent teams from using long-term injured reserve rules to load up their rosters. Currently, teams with players on LTIR can exceed the cap by roughly the amount of the players' salaries until the playoffs begin. The option has been used, for example, by Chicago (Patrick Kane in 2015), Tampa Bay (Nikita Kucherov in 2021) and the Vegas Golden Knights (Mark Stone in multiple seasons) during their playoff runs. Article content NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman and NHLPA executive director Marty Walsh foreshadowed a quick conclusion to labor talks speaking at the Stanley Cup Final earlier in June. Bettman said the sides were 'in really good shape, having really good discussions,' and Walsh added that talks were 'moving forward, and I feel good with where we are.' Article content A full, new CBA would be the first since 2013. The league and the union have been working on the memorandum negotiated in 2020 to finish that season during the pandemic and would meld that agreement with the framework from 12 years ago. Article content
Reuters
17 hours ago
- Business
- Reuters
Reports: Proposed CBA extension to include 84-game season
June 26 - The NHL appears headed toward an 84-game regular season, according to terms of a new collective bargaining agreement that would run through the 2029-30 season and could be revealed as early as Friday, the Daily Faceoff and ESPN reported. The four-year CBA extension also is expected to include a seven-year maximum on all new contracts, while a solution on emergency goalies will be implemented. While the proposed CBA could be announced before Friday's NHL Draft at Los Angeles, it still would have to be ratified by the league and the NHL Players' Association. Under a new 84-game season, up from the current 82, each team would go from a maximum of eight preseason games to a maximum of four. The additional two regular-season games would allow teams to visit every building in the league each season, while making sure division rivals face each other four times. The seven-year limit on new contracts would be for players who re-sign with their current teams. Free agents going to new teams would be limited to six-year contracts. Those limits had been eight and seven years, respectively. Teams would also be required to employ a full-time emergency backup goalie who would travel with the club and can also participate in practice. In addition, all hockey-related revenue will be split equally between players and owners, while playoff teams will be forced to comply with the salary cap by eliminating the long-term injured reserve loophole. The current CBA expires after the 2025-26 season, meaning the four-year extension would run through September of 2030. --Field Level Media
