Pierre LeBrun Provides Update on Major NHL Regular Season Schedule Changes

NHL insider Pierre LeBrun revealed that Gary Bettman and the NHL are planning a switchover to an 84-game season, and he provided some more clarity.

The NHL and NHLPA are nearing a four-year Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) extension, according to 'Daily Faceoff' insider Frank Seravalli.

The deal would run from. 16, 2026, to Sept. 15, 2030, providing five straight years of harmony on the work front, a rarity in the league since Commissioner Gary Bettman began his tenure with three previous work stoppages.

This would be the earliest CBA extension under Bettman's 32-year tenure. The last extension was in 2020, to recover from pandemic losses.

With players paying off escrow debt, the salary cap is increasing, from $95.5 million in 2025-26 to $113 million in 2027-28.

The most significant change is the length of the regular season, which willbe lengthened to 84 games for the 2026-27 season. The preseason will be reduced to four games for each team, with veterans (career 100+) restricted to a maximum of two.

NHL insider Pierre LeBrun gave us some key information, in that the regular season will likely begin in the final week of September in order to fit in the additional games, the majority of which will likely be intra-divisional.