The NHL's 2026-27 season is nearly here, and with it comes new changes to the league. From mandatory protective equipment, to an increased regular-season, there's no shortage of changes to the product. Here are the six most notable changes this coming year.
The NHL’s 2026-27 season is nearly here, and this new season brings with it new changes to the league’s collective bargaining agreement, which officially kicks in Sept. 16 and lasts until Sept. 15, 2030.
While there are a handful of changes won't impact the on-ice experience for fans following their favorite teams on a day-to-day basis, there are a few that stand out as notable alterations.
So, what are the biggest changes we’ll see with the CBA beginning this season, and how will it impact the league's 32 franchises? Here are six to look out for:
1. Contract Term Length
The one alteration that directly affects a player’s financial earnings is this rule, which reduces the maximum length of a contract to seven years (down from eight).
That’s for players re-signing with a team. If you’re a newcomer to an organization, the longest you can sign for is now six seasons.
If you’re a player, this development could be seen in a negative or positive light. On the one hand, there's a chance you have one less year of job security. However, if you’re going back on the open market more often, you have a good chance to significantly increase your annual salary.
Some players prefer that direction. For instance, Toronto Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews has never signed for more than five years, and his current salary of $13.2 million is only on the books for four seasons.
It’s a clear negotiating strategy by Matthews and agent Judd Moldaver, and it’s going to pay off with an even bigger salary when his contract expires at the end of the 2027-28 campaign. Other players may follow suit.
2. 84-game Schedule, Shortened Pre-Season
NHL teams have been playing an 82-game schedule since 1995-96 – but this season, that number rises to 84 games for every team.
In a 32-team league, you need those extra two games to allow teams to play divisional opponents up to four times. That falls in line with commissioner Gary Bettman’s focus on developing regional rivalries.
In addition, in one of the best moves the league has made, it is cutting back pre-season games to only four contests per team. Players are in game shape virtually every day of the year, so staging meaningless games made no sense for the league.
Instead, they add two meaningful games to the regular-season schedule, and you really can’t argue with efforts to create more meaningful hockey for fans to consume.
3. Mandatory Neck Guards For Newcomers
Any player who makes their NHL debut from this point on will be required to wear cut-resistant neck protection. Veteran players won’t have to wear neck guards if they don’t want to.
It might be an annoyance for players to wear neck guards, but anything that reduces the risk to players’ health is a good thing. Remember, at one point, people in hockey circles were complaining about mandatory visors. But the league insisted on better eye protection, and guess what? Players adjusted and it’s now normal to have visors for all.
The same will be true for neck guards, and the new generation of players will have to come to terms with it.
4. No More Anonymous EBUGs
Up until now, NHL teams used emergency backup goaltenders (EBUGs) who would be called upon when both goalies for a team unexpectedly can’t play. The league has now agreed that EBUGs are will be team employees who will even be approved to travel on the road.
There are some stipulations the new EBUGs must adhere to: they can’t have any NHL experience, they can’t have played pro hockey in the three previous seasons, and they can’t have 80 games or more of pro hockey experience.
Having a third goalie on staff could be a life-preserving option that helps teams in the long run.
5. Minimum Salary Increase
As the league gets more profitable, player salaries will rise accordingly. Last season, a player’s minimum salary was $775,000 USD. This year, that number will rise to $850,000.
Down the line, the minimum salary projects to be $900,000 in 2027-28, $950,000 in 2028-29, and $1-million in 2029-30.
That might seem like a small raise for players, but the league and the NHL Players Association splits hockey-related revenues evenly at 50/50, so better paydays are out there for players.
And young players who produce well are being paid like never before – just ask Anaheim Ducks star center Leo Carlsson, who will be making $18-million per season for the next five years. Big money is out there, but this new base salary increase will be welcomed by all players.
6. AHL Player Transactions
In the old CBA, NHL teams had the option of technically loaning a player to their minor-league affiliate without that player actually having to report before being recalled the following day.
It was a sneaky but legal maneuver, but in the new labor deal, any player assigned to the American League is required to play in at least one game before they can be recalled to the NHL.
This particular change isn’t going to register all that much on the radar of hockey fans, but it’s one of those odd holes in the CBA that teams found a way to exploit. Every new labor deal tries to tie up whatever loose ends are out there, and that’s the case with this move.
It’s holding teams to account, and teams now are going to have to adjust to this more stringent rule.
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