Overview
- The NHL presented a $127.5 million estimate for the 2028-29 salary cap at its Board of Governors meeting on Friday, Sept. 25, 2026, according to reporting by Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman.
- Commissioner Gary Bettman tied the projection to roughly $8.1 billion in mixed‑currency revenue forecasts, which the league says justify the multi‑season cap increases under the current CBA.
- If the estimate holds, it would be the largest single‑season jump in the cap era — about $14 million from the prior season — and would raise the individual salary cap limit to roughly $25.5 million under the rule that a player can earn up to 20% of the ceiling.
- The projected rise helps explain this summer’s record contracts and offer‑sheet activity and gives durable cap value to teams that signed young players to long deals before the jump.
- The figure remains an estimate that depends on actual future revenues and any CBA adjustments, and smaller Canadian‑market teams or currency‑sensitive franchises could face distinct budgetary pressures as the ceiling climbs.