NHL's CBA extension puts league in rare position

For once, the NHL isn't getting in its own way.

Labor disputes have been a black eye to the sport since the 1990s, beginning with a 10-day work stoppage near the end of the 1991-92 regular season and followed by a 1994-95 lockout, which shortened the season to 48 games.

The 2004-05 season was canceled due to a labor dispute, followed by another truncated 48-game season in 2013.

The league has gracefully rebounded in the decade-plus since its last lockout and is in as good a spot as ever. It has added two franchises since 2017 — Vegas Golden Knights and Seattle Kraken. In 2024-25, the NHL set an attendance record for the third consecutive season at 23,014,458.

By agreeing to a CBA extension, the positive momentum will continue. 

Among the biggest pieces of the CBA is the expansion of the regular season to 84 games, with the league cutting down the number of preseason games.

Per Daily Faceoff, players have largely embraced the change, with one anonymously saying, "Preseason is a waste of time anyway."

"As long as the preseason is shorter, it's nice," another shared.

The ratified CBA also sets a maximum contract length of seven years (six for unrestricted free agents), which one player said "makes the league more competitive quicker."

As the salary cap rises, players will benefit from shorter contracts by being able to reach the open market quicker.

It's rare, but the NHL and its players have found harmony. We've grown accustomed to the league stubbing its toe, but for the rest of the decade, it will only be dancing.