This week the NHL and NHLPA ratified a four-year collective bargaining agreement that will begin in the 2026-27 season and run through the 2029-30 season. After reading through the 167-page Memorandum of Understanding document, here are some of the notable changes coming at that time:
• Between the trade deadline and the end of the regular season teams can make five non-emergency recalls (up from the previous rule of four).
• Not official yet, but the NHL is seeking to amend the CHL transfer agreement and allow one 19-year-old player from major junior to be AHL-eligible each year. Currently major junior players don't gain AHL eligibility until age 20 or after four years of experience.
• Paper transactions are done. If a player is sent down, he must play one game in the AHL before he's eligible to come back up. The lone exception is for goaltenders who are sent down and then there is an emergency recall needed in net.
• If a player is traded to a team and salary is retained, he can't be traded again with retained salary for 75 days. This prevents three-team trades where two teams retain salary on one player.
• Contract lengths will be capped at six years in free agency, or seven years if re-signing with his existing team. The previous limits were seven and eight years respectively.
• Teams cannot impose pre-game and post-game dress codes, but "players are required to dress in a manner that is consistent with contemporary fashion norms."
• All players will be entitled to their own hotel rooms on the road. Currently, players on entry-level contracts share rooms with each other.
• There will be a playoff salary cap. For each game, the 18 skaters and two goaltenders dressed must be under the regular-season salary cap. Buyouts, retained salary, dead cap from 35+ contracts or one-way contracts buried in the minors will continue to count toward that total.
• Starting with players drafted in 2027, any player drafted at age 18 has their rights held for four years, players 19 and up have their rights held for three years. For college players (whether they are drafted out of college or move to college after being drafted), if they're still in college when their rights would have otherwise expired, there will be an extension on their rights that lasts until 30 days after the player leaves college hockey.
• Training camp is limited to 13 days for all players with at least 50 games played, and limited to 18 days for players with fewer than 50 games played.
• The preseason is limited to four games. Players with at least 100 games played can't play more than two games.
• No fitness testing in camp or the regular season.
• The regular season is increased from 82 games to 84.
• Players entering the league in 2026-27 must wear cut-resistant neck protection.
• Teams will employ full-time emergency backup goaltenders who can play for them at home or on the road if needed. To qualify, a potential EBUG cannot have played an NHL game on a standard contract before, must have fewer than 80 career professional games, cannot have played pro hockey in the last three seasons, and cannot have an existing contractual obligation elsewhere. They can be employed by the team in another capacity in addition to the EBUG role. EBUGs can only dress due to pre-game or in-game injuries, or if the team doesn't have cap room for a recall.
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THE ASYLUM
Changes in new CBA
This week the NHL and NHLPA ratified a four-year collective bargaining agreement that will begin in the 2026-27 season and run through the 2029-30 season. After reading through the 167-page Memorandum of Understanding document, here are some of the notable changes coming at that time:
• Between the trade deadline and the end of the regular season teams can make five non-emergency recalls (up from the previous rule of four).
• Not official yet, but the NHL is seeking to amend the CHL transfer agreement and allow one 19-year-old player from major junior to be AHL-eligible each year. Currently major junior players don't gain AHL eligibility until age 20 or after four years of experience.
• New league-minimum salaries: 2026-27: $850,000, 2027-28: $900,000, 2028-29: $950,000, 2029-30: $1,000,000.
• Paper transactions are done. If a player is sent down, he must play one game in the AHL before he's eligible to come back up. The lone exception is for goaltenders who are sent down and then there is an emergency recall needed in net.
• If a player is traded to a team and salary is retained, he can't be traded again with retained salary for 75 days. This prevents three-team trades where two teams retain salary on one player.
• Contract lengths will be capped at six years in free agency, or seven years if re-signing with his existing team. The previous limits were seven and eight years respectively.
• Teams cannot impose pre-game and post-game dress codes, but "players are required to dress in a manner that is consistent with contemporary fashion norms."
• All players will be entitled to their own hotel rooms on the road. Currently, players on entry-level contracts share rooms with each other.
• There will be a playoff salary cap. For each game, the 18 skaters and two goaltenders dressed must be under the regular-season salary cap. Buyouts, retained salary, dead cap from 35+ contracts or one-way contracts buried in the minors will continue to count toward that total.
• Starting with players drafted in 2027, any player drafted at age 18 has their rights held for four years, players 19 and up have their rights held for three years. For college players (whether they are drafted out of college or move to college after being drafted), if they're still in college when their rights would have otherwise expired, there will be an extension on their rights that lasts until 30 days after the player leaves college hockey.
• Training camp is limited to 13 days for all players with at least 50 games played, and limited to 18 days for players with fewer than 50 games played.
• The preseason is limited to four games. Players with at least 100 games played can't play more than two games.
• No fitness testing in camp or the regular season.
• The regular season is increased from 82 games to 84.
• Players entering the league in 2026-27 must wear cut-resistant neck protection.
• Teams will employ full-time emergency backup goaltenders who can play for them at home or on the road if needed. To qualify, a potential EBUG cannot have played an NHL game on a standard contract before, must have fewer than 80 career professional games, cannot have played pro hockey in the last three seasons, and cannot have an existing contractual obligation elsewhere. They can be employed by the team in another capacity in addition to the EBUG role. EBUGs can only dress due to pre-game or in-game injuries, or if the team doesn't have cap room for a recall.
Want to participate in our comments?
Want an ad-free experience?
Become a member, and enjoy premium benefits! Make your voice heard on the Steelers, Penguins and Pirates, and hear right back from tens of thousands of fellow Pittsburgh sports fans worldwide! Plus, access all our premium content, including Dejan Kovacevic columns, Friday Insider, daily Live Qs with the staff, more! And yeah, that's right, no ads at all!
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