Hockey

NHL, NHLPA ratify new collective bargaining agreement through 2029-30 campaign

The NHL's Board of Governors and the NHL Players' Association membership have ratified a four-year collective bargaining agreement through the 2029-30 season, the two sides announced Tuesday.

Sides say partnership is 'stronger than it ever has been' in joint statement

Two men shake hands in front of an NHL and NHLPA backdrop.
NHLPA head Marty Walsh, left, and NHL commissioner Gary Bettman are seen shaking hands on June 27 after the sides announced a tentative collective bargaining agreement. The new CBA was ratified Tuesday. (Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

The NHL's Board of Governors and the NHL Players' Association membership have ratified a four-year collective bargaining agreement through the 2029-30 season, the two sides announced Tuesday.

In a joint statement, the league and the union said details of the agreement will be available at a later date.

The ratification was expected after the NHL and NHLPA announced June 27 in Los Angeles that they had agreed on a memorandum of understanding.

The agreement, which kicks in for the 2026-27 season, is widely reported to include an 84-game regular-season schedule, up from 82 games.

A reduction in the maximum contract length by a year and a playoff salary cap are other changes expected to be included in the new deal.

The league and union had characterized negotiations toward the new CBA as positive, a far cry from the boardroom strife that has gripped the sport in the past and led to several work stoppages, including a lockout that doomed the entire 2004-05 campaign.

"The partnership between the Players' Association and the League is stronger than it ever has been and working together under this agreement presents a fantastic opportunity to continue to grow the game," NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said in a statement. "We are grateful to the Board of Governors for its support of this agreement that strengthens our game and ensures we are collectively delivering a great fan experience in the years to come."

NHLPA Executive Director Marty Walsh had said previously that he was pleased with the four-year scope of the CBA, as it allows more players to have the opportunity to be involved in the bargaining process than a longer agreement does.

"This CBA shows what can be accomplished when the NHL and the union work together — an agreement that will allow for the continued worldwide growth of the game. That is a win for everyone," Walsh said in a statement.

"We could not have achieved this outcome without the involvement and support of our players."

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