Overview

• Pending ratification by players and owners, the four-year contract extension will run from the end of the 2025–26 season through 2030.
• The regular season will grow from 82 to 84 games starting in 2026–27 while the preseason schedule is reduced.
• New contract rules cap player extensions at seven years with their current club and six years for free-agent signings.
• NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman called the process constructive and said it is designed to prevent repeat lockouts like those in 2004–05 and 2012–13.
• League officials say the streamlined deal will improve revenue predictability and support at least five years of labor stability.