New Rules In CBA Aim To Prevent NHL Salary Retention Chains

The NHL’s recently-agreed-to new collective bargaining agreement has several areas in which the league and NHL Players’ Association have clawed back certain aspects to make it more difficult to take the steps many teams have taken to limit their salary cap imprint. For instance, the new labor deal limits contract extensions to seven years for a team that re-signs its own player – down from eight years in the current CBA – and a reduction to six years (down from seven) for any team that signs another team’s UFA. In this move, the league is essentially trying to save big-spending GMs from themselves.  

New Rules In CBA Aim To Prevent NHL Salary Retention Chains The NHL’s recently-agreed-to new collective bargaining agreement has several areas in which the league and NHL Players’ Association have clawed back certain aspects to make it more difficult to take the steps many teams have taken to limit their salary cap imprint. For instance, <a href="http://media.nhl.com/site/vasset/public/attachments/2025/07/19116/NHLPA-NHL-MOU-June-27-2025.pdf">the new labor deal</a> limits contract extensions to seven years for a team that re-signs its own player – down from eight years in the current CBA – and a reduction to six years (down from seven) for any team that signs another team’s UFA. In this move, the league is essentially trying to save big-spending GMs from themselves.