EDMONTON — NHL commissioner Gary Bettman says the league and its union are in “really good shape” with negotiations on a new collective bargaining agreement.
Speaking ahead of Game 1 of the Stanley Cup final rematch between the Edmonton Oilers and Florida Panthers, he added that there’s “no comparison” to past CBA talks with the NHL Players’ Association.
Bettman commended NHLPA executive director Marty Walsh for a “very constructive, professional, cordial dialogue,” but said there would be no announcement on a formal agreement Wednesday.
The current CBA, which was extended during the COVID-19 pandemic with the NHL’s financial situation on shaky ground, is set to expire Sept. 15, 2026.
The positive tone around discussions are a welcome sign for fans of a league that lost the entire 2004-05 season to a lockout, and also went through labour disruptions that shortened both the 1994-95 and 2012-13 campaigns.
The NHL, meanwhile, is set to return to the Olympics next year in Italy. Deputy commissioner Bill Daly said the league doesn’t expect the International Olympic Committee or the International Ice Hockey Federation to change its ban on the participation of Russian teams, which means NHLers from that country will stay home at the first Games involving the world’s best players since 2014 due to the ongoing war in Ukraine.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 4, 2025.
Joshua Clipperton, The Canadian Press
