The new NHL CBA is a capitulation by the NHLPA
Now that the deal is signed and ratified and we have learned the key big-line items of the new deal, it sure looks like it.
Article content
Article content
Sources had long suggested that the owners held all the cards going into 2026, when the current CBA expires, and that if the owners wanted to save a huge amount of money, there was no reason not to delay the opening of the 2026-27 season with a lockout. The players, they said, were in a real pickle.
Article content
Article content
'That is all they got,' one long-time league observer said of the outcome of this round of negotiations — no lockout, but very little else in their favour. 'This is absurd.'
Article content
Another called it a '9-1 win for (Commissioner Gary) Bettman.'
The sole win? Teams are now on the hook to pay the player portion of payroll taxes, like Canadian public health fees.
Article content
'That's all the players got of real value.'
Article content
The new deal, which the players voted to accept this week and was announced as an official deal on Tuesday morning by the league and the players' association, takes effect in September 2026.
Article content
According to reporting by The Athletic, the players will see a rise in the minimum salary and a surge in the playoff fund, plus no restrictions on what players can wear to games. Furthermore, pre-season has been shortened by eight days and the exhibition schedule will be only four games long. (The regular season will now be 84 games.) Also, post-draft rights retention has now been standardized, no matter where you are drafted from — whether players are from Europe, junior or the NCAA, teams will have four years post-draft to sign them.
Article content
Article content
And European free agents will no longer be forced to sign entry-level deals. They will be treated just like every other free agent available to sign.
Article content
Article content
But the players have given way on contract length. If a player re-ups with their team, they are currently allowed to sign an eight-year deal. If they sign with another team, it's a seven-year deal. The new CBA brings those limits down to seven and six. The rules around 'long-term injured reserve' have now been tightened — only players who are ruled to be out for the rest of the season will be permitted to have their whole salary pushed above the cap limit, otherwise teams will be restricted in how much of the injured player's contract can be pushed off the cap.
Article content
There are no restrictions on how often teams can retain contracts in trades. The current setup which allows for a third team to participate in a trade and simply retain a portion of the traded player's salary will essentially be eliminated. Third-team retention will still be permitted, but there will have to be 75 days between the two trades.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CBC
27 minutes ago
- CBC
Montreal's Ilya Kharun claims bronze in men's 100m butterfly final at World Aquatics Championships
The 20-year-old Olympian reached the podium with a time of 50.07. Fellow Canadian Josh Liendo finished fourth with a time of 50.09.
National Post
29 minutes ago
- National Post
From Alberta to Stephen Colbert: An imagined look at who Mark Carney will offer statehood to next
This week, Prime Minister Mark Carney promise to recognize a Palestinian state provided that its leaders can abandon violence and become a liberal democracy — and do so by the end of the summer. Article content Carney's conditions are basically impossible: Gaza remains in control of a literal terrorist organization that refuses to surrender, while the Palestinian areas of the West Bank are in the hands of a Palestinian Authority that has suspended elections since 2005. Article content Article content The other easy critique — and the one being made by the Conservatives — is that it rewards terrorism. For decades, Canada has explicitly rejected unilateral recognition of a Palestinian state, including in a House of Commons vote held just last year. The only reason Carney is breaking with this precedent is because of a series of events that kicked off with the slaughter and mass-rape of hundreds of Israeli civilians on Oct. 7, 2023. Article content Article content At a time when Canada faces threats unlike any since the Second World War, complete national unity is an imperative. This may include the extension of self-determination to regions such as Alberta which pose barriers to this. However, this is predicated on Alberta's agreement to much-needed social and political reforms. If, in the next six weeks, the province can suspend its oil sector, transition its vehicle fleet to 50 per cent EVs and phase out its environmentally destructive beef sector in favour of more sustainable nutritive options such as quinoa or jicama we will recognize a State of Alberta at the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly. Article content Article content Afghanistan Article content Article content The worsening condition of Afghan women and girls leaves no room for delay in a co-ordinated international action to extend peace and security in the recently established Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan. For this reason, Canada will recognize Afghanistan and its Taliban government and urge our European partners to do the same. That is, if the Taliban government can sign a memorandum of understanding to recognize the systemic equity-hostile dogma of its current policies and commit to hiring marginalized Afghans in at least 11.5 per cent of civil service positions. Article content Puerto Rico and Stephen Colbert Article content Bullies like Donald Trump only understand strength. This is why, in a bold show of diplomatic convening power, Canada will unilaterally recognize Puerto Rico as the 51st U.S. state, and immediately petition Washington to make space for Puerto Rican representatives in its Senate and House of Representatives. We will also be instructing our diplomats to indefinitely continue recognizing Stephen Colbert as host of The Late Show.
CBC
29 minutes ago
- CBC
Piece by piece, cranes lift 84 prefabricated rentals into place in downtown Calgary
Along a busy street on the west end of downtown, another new rental building is going up — but instead of being built from scratch, prefabricated units are being craned into place, piece by piece. Each box being stacked contains two studio apartments, already filled with appliances like fridges, stoves, washers and dryers. Altogether, the pieces will make up 84 studio apartments across six storeys. "We can crane in all the modules into place in 10 days, which is a very fast pace in a highly densified area," said Adam Beattie, president of ATCO Structures. The modular units were manufactured at ATCO Structures' factory in southwest Calgary. They took roughly three months to complete. Jaydan Tait, CEO of Attainable Homes Calgary — the city-owned agency behind the project — says the speed of modular construction is a major advantage as Calgary tackles an ongoing housing crisis. "From the starting point of manufacture to a fully-stacked building will be from April 15 to the middle of August, so just a few months, unlike a typical construction build which can be on average about two years," said Tait. Compared to traditional builds, this approach requires less labour, says Tait, and the construction costs are lower since it takes less time to complete. He says that's reflected in the price charged to tenants. "We're going to be able to rent every single studio unit, 84 studios in there, for under $1,100 a month," he said. "So if you make about $44,000 to $50,000, you're the kind of client we want to live in this building and that's calculated on you not spending more than 30 per cent of your income on rent." Once all the elements — including stairwells and elevators — are in place, ATCO will work on adding external cladding and other finishing touches. The building is expected to be complete in December and will be ready for its first tenants on Jan. 1. Despite the haste of modular construction, Beattie said quality isn't an issue. "The modular structure actually has more structural components than a traditional build because not only do you have the structural requirements of the overall envelope of the building, but each module has intensified structural elements so it can be transported to site in a safe and effective manner," said Beattie. "It's got a huge amount of durability and longevity that can endure as much, if not more, than a traditional build and the quality of finish." Both Beattie and Tait say they're expecting the residential modular approach to become even more common as Canada tackles an ongoing housing shortage, especially with the federal government backing the technique as part of its housing plan. In the meantime, Attainable Homes Calgary is developing another modular project — this time, in Sunnyside — with manufacturing slated to begin in the fall.
