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On September 16, 2026, the NHL will turn a page in its history. On that day, the new collective bargaining agreement — already ratified by owners and players — will officially come into effect for a four-year term. For the first time since 1995, a regular season will feature 84 games. Behind this symbolic number, the entire ecosystem of North American professional hockey is set to evolve.
The return to 84 games and its immediate consequences
The most visible decision for fans is the increase from 82 to 84 games per regular season.
The most visible decision for fans is the increase from 82 to 84 games per regular season. To absorb this heavier schedule, the preseason drops from six to four games per team. Players see it as an acceptable compromise: playing two additional games that count in the standings rather than multiplying exhibition games with injury risk.
This reform comes with a deep overhaul of the salary cap. The cap will rise to $104 million as early as the 2026-2027 season, then to $113.5 million the following year. The minimum salary, meanwhile, climbs to $850,000 and will reach $1 million before the agreement ends in 2030. These figures, confirmed by the NHLPA and several North American media outlets, give general managers new flexibility, especially those of rebuilding teams with cap space.
The end of "EBUGs" and enhanced safety
One of the NHL's most folkloric traditions disappears with this new agreement. Emergency backup goaltenders, those amateurs or semi-professionals who waited in the stands in case both goalies of a team were injured on the same night, will no longer be called upon. The league will now employ a full-time traveling backup goaltender. Gone is the dream of the accountant who dons the pads in the third period: the NHL is professionalizing even its last safety net.
Another notable change, player protection takes a leap forward. Any new skater entering the league as of September 2026 must wear a neck guard. Currently, only 55 players use this equipment, a number the league and the players' association deem insufficient after several serious accidents involving skate blades. Veterans already in place retain the choice, but the standard is now set for future generations.
Shorter contracts and a rethought injury management
The era of eight-year mega-contracts is coming to an end. The maximum term drops to seven years for extensions and six years for unrestricted free agents. This measure, long sought by some executives, aims to limit very long-term commitments that paralyze payrolls.
The long-term injury exemption system, the famous LTIR that allowed teams to exceed the salary cap in the playoffs, also undergoes a revamp. The new salary cap specific to the playoffs limits the circumventions that marked recent seasons, notably the highly commented case of Vegas in 2025. A team will no longer be able to accumulate injured star players during the regular season to reactivate them in the first round without accounting consequences.
The Olympic return and implementation
Owners and players also agreed on NHL participation in the 2030 Winter Olympics. After the notable absence in 2018 and the successful return in 2026, this guarantee written into the collective bargaining agreement offers welcome stability for national teams. The best hockey players on the planet will again be able to represent their country without insurance and schedules turning into a tug of war.
The implementation of this collective bargaining agreement is a rare event in the NHL's recent history: an agreement negotiated well before the deadline, without a lockout, without the threat of a strike. Gary Bettman and Marty Walsh, the NHLPA's executive director, both hailed a calmed labor relationship. It remains to be seen how general managers will adapt to this new framework. The increased flexibility from the salary cap rise could trigger a wave of signings and trades before training camps open in late September. The NHL is entering a new era, and the coming weeks will tell who can best take advantage of it.