NHL/NHLPA Considering 84-Game Season, Shortening Preseason

On Tuesday (Oct. 1), it was revealed that the NHL & NHLPA have been discussing changes to the annual schedule as the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) discussions are expected to pick up.

According to Pierre Lebrun, a trusted NHL insider, the two sides have chatted about shortening the preseason to just four games and increasing the total amount of games in the regular season from 82 to 84.

The NHL and NHLPA have already chatted about it and will do so more seriously in CBA talks: reduce pre-season to 4 games (and add 2 games to regular season to make it 84).
That’s the idea anyway. We’ll see where it goes in CBA talks.

— Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) October 2, 2024

As reported previously, the NHL & NHLPA are expected to begin talks on a new CBA in early 2025. Commissioner Gary Bettman stated:

We will probably begin having more discussions with the Players’ Association after the first of the year….we’ve said that it could be as early as November, but I think everybody’s still got some homework to do. You know that the union’s on their fall tour, so no big deal. It’s just, I think, in terms of timing, that’s probably the most realistic. Which is still well, well in advance, and we think we’re collectively, in terms of the relationship, in a good place.

NHL, NHLPA expected to begin talks on new CBA in early 2025 – David Satriano – NHL.Com – 10/01/2024

The current CBA ends on Sep. 15, 2026. The existing CBA, which was ratified in Jan. 2013, was scheduled to expire on Sep. 15, 2022, but was extended back in 2020 and is now just under two years away from expiring.

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