Latest news with #MartyWalsh
Globe and Mail
6 hours ago
- Business
- Globe and Mail
An 84-game season among changes coming to NHL as part of new labour deal
An 84-game season is coming to the NHL as part of an extension of the collective bargaining agreement that has been tentatively agreed to by the league and the Players' Association. They announced a memorandum of understanding Friday in Los Angeles before the first round of the draft. It still needs to be ratified by the Board of Governors and the full NHLPA membership. Two games are being added to to the regular season, the maximum length of contracts players can sign is being shortened and a salary cap will be implemented in the playoffs for the first time, two people told The Associated Press on Thursday. The NHL and NHLPA began negotiations in earnest this spring after agreeing at the 4 Nations Face-Off in February to jointly hold a World Cup of Hockey in 2028. With revenue breaking records annually and the cap increasing exponentially in the coming years, Commissioner Gary Bettman and union executive director Marty Walsh voiced optimism about reaching an agreement quickly. There were no disagreements on a host of major issues like in previous bargaining talks. 'There's been tremendous growth, and what's ahead is spectacular on many fronts,' said Toronto's John Tavares, who's going into his 17th season. 'The predictability of things goes a long way, I think, for everyone in the sport. It's great to have that partnership and how collaborative it's been, which has been very different from 2012. It's great to see and happy that the growth of the game and the sport and the business side of it is all kind of in sync and in synergy and we're able to kind of continue to build off the many great things over the last few years.' Tavares takes hefty pay cut to return to Maple Leafs on four-year deal The extension through 2030 provides the sport extended labor peace since the last lockout in 2012-13, which shortened that season to 48 games. Here is what is changing: Going from 82 to 84 games beginning in 2026-27 – making the season 1,344 total games – is also expected to include a reduction in exhibition play, to four games apiece for the 32 teams. The additions would be played within divisions, evening out the schedule to ensure four showdowns each season between rivals like Toronto and Boston, Dallas and Colorado and Washington and Pittsburgh. Currently, there is a rotation that has some division opponents facing off only three times a season. That imbalance is coming to an end, and this is not the first time the NHL has had an 84-game season. The league experimented with that in 1992-93 and '93-94, when each team added a pair of neutral site games. Since 2013, players have been able to re-sign with their own team for up to eight years and sign with another for up to seven years. Under the new CBA, each would be reduced by a year, to seven for re-signing and six for changing teams. Top players, given the injury risks in the sport, have preferred the longest contracts possible. The same goes for general managers, eager to keep talent in the fold as long as possible. Nathan MacKinnon, Sebastian Aho, Leon Draisaitl, Juuse Saros, Travis Konecny, Mathew Barzal and, as recently as March, Mikko Rantanen are all among the top players who have signed lucrative eight-year deals. Leafs prepare for life without Marner as draft, free agency approach 'I guess that could be a rarity now,' said Trent Frederic, who on Friday signed an eight-year contract to remain with the Oilers. 'Eight years is better than seven. It's good to lock in before that changes.' But with the salary cap getting its biggest increases season by season over the next three years, the thinking had already begun to change. Auston Matthews re-signed for only four years with Toronto last summer, and Connor McDavid could also opt for a short-term contract extension with Edmonton. Currently, teams with players on long-term injured reserve can exceed the salary cap by roughly the amount of the players' salaries until the playoffs begin. Several times over the past decade, Stanley Cup contenders have used LTIR to activate players at the start of or early in the playoffs after they missed some or all of the regular season. Florida did so with Matthew Tkachuk before winning the second of back-to-back titles, Vegas has done it with Mark Stone on multiple occasions, Tampa Bay with Nikita Kucherov and Chicago with Patrick Kane. The rule has been criticized as an unfair loophole, a way to stockpile talent and then add even more for the postseason. After he and Carolina were eliminated by the Lightning in 2021, Dougie Hamilton quipped that the Hurricanes 'lost to a team that's $18 million over the cap.' Tampa Bay went back to back, and players wore T-shirts with that saying on it during their Cup celebration. That will no longer be possible, though it's not exactly clear how it will work. There are some other changes in store, too: The league will standardize draft pick rights until players turn 22, clear the way for full-time emergency traveling goaltenders and will stop teams to instituting a dress code for players, according to a person familiar with the CBA who spoke with The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Friday because details of the agreement were not being released. Teams have been able to hold the rights to juniors players for two or three years, depending on their age, and for college players for four years; now those rights will be held until a player is 22. The change comes at a time when the NHL developmental pipeline is in flux after the NCAA decided that juniors players can be eligible to play U.S. college hockey. As the OHL hopes for another top NHL pick, Canada's junior hockey landscape faces change 'That would make a little more sense for development,' Washington Capitals assistant general manager Ross Mahoney said. 'An example would be you would take a player out of the CHL, maybe he plays as an 18-, 19-year-old and now you want to sign him, but maybe he's not quite ready for the (minors). So is it better to have him in (the American Hockey League) and have him healthy-scratched for a third of the games, or is it better for him to go play at North Dakota for two years and then sign?' Emergency backup goalies, the beloved 'EBUGs,' will soon be a thing of the past, years after the likes of David Ayres and Scott Foster went into games and won after a team's two roster netminders were injured. Each team will be able to keep an extra goaltender around to practice with and enter a game, rather than having a beer league replacement on standby. The fashion walk — most are familiar with videos and photos of well-dressed players walking into arenas before games — will also change as one of hockey's older traditions goes by the wayside. Some teams have done away with requiring suits for players, instead going to warmup jackets and sweatpants, but now players can choose their own looks.
Time of India
7 hours ago
- Business
- Time of India
NHL and NHLPA make bold move with surprise CBA deal lasting until 2030
NHL and NHLPA make bold move with surprise CBA deal lasting until 2030 (Image via Getty) Big news just came out before the 2025 NHL Draft. The NHL and the NHL Players' Association have quietly reached a deal that could change the next few years of the league. Many fans and players were not expecting this so early. Now, everyone is talking. The agreement was announced during a live press event in Los Angeles just hours before the draft, and it looks like the NHL will enjoy labor peace for a long time. Gary Bettman and Marty Walsh confirm deal to extend labor agreement through 2030 At a press conference in Los Angeles on Friday, June 28, 2025, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman, NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly, NHLPA Executive Director Marty Walsh, and NHLPA Assistant Executive Director Ron Hainsey disclosed that they had approved four years more of the league's Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA). The current agreement, set to end on September 15, 2026, will now continue through September 15, 2030, if both sides approve it in upcoming votes. Bettman called the extension 'completely refreshing' and said it gives the league, players, and business partners a clear and stable future. Marty Walsh said talks had been ongoing for more than two years. He added that early conversations with Bettman helped build trust. They focused on growing hockey through global events like the Olympics, the World Cup, and the 4 Nations Face-Off, and both sides believed it was time to lock in stability. Players and teams welcome changes as final votes are expected soon The NHL Board of Governors is expected to review the CBA details soon. Bettman said the board had already seen most of the new terms during meetings earlier this week. Meanwhile, the NHLPA will present the deal to players for a full vote within the next week. Though the final document is still private, a few key points have been reported. These include an 84-game regular season, fewer preseason games (now just four), and a new rule for contract length. Players can now sign for seven years with the same team, or six years with a new team. John Tavares, who just signed a four-year deal with the Toronto Maple Leafs, called the news 'great for the game.' He said this deal shows how much the league has grown, and that things feel more stable than in past years. Also Read: NHL And NHLPA Launch International Bidding For 2028 World Cup Of Hockey Host Cities Bettman praised Walsh for helping keep talks smooth and focused. Both sides said they didn't agree on everything but worked with respect to find a deal that helps everyone. Game On Season 1 continues with Mirabai Chanu's inspiring story. Watch Episode 2 here.
Toronto Sun
7 hours ago
- Business
- Toronto Sun
What the National Hockey League's CBA extension means for Canada's teams
NHLPA Executive Director Marty Walsh (left) and NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman conduct a joint news conference before the NHL draft on June 27, 2025, in Los Angeles. Photo by Damian Dovarganes / The Associated Press The National Hockey League and NHL Players' Association have decided to give labour peace another chance. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account Before the first round of the NHL draft was held Friday night at the Peacock Theatre in Los Angeles, commissioner Gary Bettman and Marty Walsh, the executive director of the union, held a news conference to announce a four-year extension of the collective bargaining agreement. The deal needs to be ratified by the NHL's board of governors and the members of the NHLPA. The players will begin voting next week, and the board of governors saw most of the details during a meeting last Wednesday in Los Angeles. The current agreement will expire in Sept. 2026. The new deal ensures members of the NHL and the fans that there is no chance of labour uncertainty until 2030. The NHL has had several work stoppages, including the 2004-05 lockout that wiped out the whole season. Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The most recent lockout was in 2012-13. 'This was a very thorough, constructive and professional process, and I think that bodes very well for the future of the game and the relationship between the players and the league going forward again, while we have an understanding and agreement,' Bettman said on Friday. Walsh echoed those sentiments. 'The process for us now is to take this agreement to the entire membership for ratification; we're going to do that over the next week or so,' Walsh said. 'I'm happy with the process. Hopefully, the players will be happy with the outcome.' So, what does this mean for hockey fans in Canada? All teams will have to be cap-compliant for the playoffs, which will help even the playing field. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The cap will rise significantly over the next three seasons, which will make life more challenging for small-market teams in places such as Ottawa and Winnipeg in a league where the salaries are paid in U.S. dollars. This year, teams can spend up to $95.5 million US, but in 2026-27, that number will rise to $104 million. It will go up to $113 million in 2027-28. If Winnipeg and Ottawa want to spend up to the cap in 2027-29, it will cost the seven clubs north of the border $154 million in Canadian currency, based on the current exchange rate. 'What we were trying to do was catch up after a number of years of a flat cap, and so we were trying to do that on an orderly basis,' Bettman said of releasing salary projections for three seasons. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'Over the years, our projections have been pretty good, and while we can always agree to make adjustments if circumstances warrant, we think the projections that we made and the caps that we put in place for the next three years are where they should be.' Yes, the new $11 billion television deal between Rogers and the NHL will help teams cover some of the player costs, but we're going to see ticket price increases because this is a gate-driven league. The TV deal is 12 years and will run through 2037-38. NEW TERM LIMITS The urgency for the Edmonton Oilers to get superstar Connor McDavid signed to an eight-year extension is real. He might not want to go that long, but the possibility of that term will no longer exist once the new CBA kicks in. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Under the new deal, players who stay with their current clubs will be able to sign an extension of up to seven seasons, instead of eight. Free agents who move to a new team will have a term limited to six seasons. HOCKEY-RELATED REVENUES There won't be a change in the way Hockey Related Revenues (HRR) are calculated. HRR is expected to remain a 50/50 split, and the expectation on both sides is that the game will only grow. The league is expected to expand to 34 teams sometime in the next few years. 'There are a number of markets interested,' said Bettman. 'We regularly engage and listen to those expressions of interest we're not envisioning, certainly for the foreseeable future, in a formal expansion process where we ask everybody at one time to step forward and apply. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'You've heard me say before that there are boxes at 10,000 feet that have to be checked when one of those expressions of interest reaches that level. Then we'll take it to the board and see if there's an interest in expanding. It's not something that's being actively pursued at the moment.' EXPANDED SCHEDULE Less meaningless hockey, and more games that mean something, with the season extended to 84 games starting in 2026-27. Training camps will be shorter, with only four pre-season games, which is good news for fans. This is good news because season ticket holders don't love attending pre-season games. SHARP DRESSED NO LONGER? The NHL will relax its dress code rules. Players will no longer be required to show up at the rink in a shirt and tie on a game day. This has always been a tradition in hockey, but the world has changed, and it does feel like a mandate whose time has passed. bgarrioch@ Canada Music Crime Toronto Raptors Toronto Raptors
National Post
8 hours ago
- Business
- National Post
What the National Hockey League's CBA extension means for Canada's teams
The National Hockey League and NHL Players' Association have decided to give labour peace another chance. Article content Before the first round of the NHL draft was held Friday night at the Peacock Theatre in Los Angeles, commissioner Gary Bettman and Marty Walsh, the executive director of the union, held a news conference to announce a four-year extension of the collective bargaining agreement. Article content Article content Article content The deal needs to be ratified by the NHL's board of governors and the members of the NHLPA. The players will begin voting next week, and the board of governors saw most of the details during a meeting last Wednesday in Los Angeles. Article content The current agreement will expire in Sept. 2026. The new deal ensures members of the NHL and the fans that there is no chance of labour uncertainty until 2030. The NHL has had several work stoppages, including the 2004-05 lockout that wiped out the whole season. Article content The most recent lockout was in 2012-13. Article content 'This was a very thorough, constructive and professional process, and I think that bodes very well for the future of the game and the relationship between the players and the league going forward again, while we have an understanding and agreement,' Bettman said on Friday. Article content Walsh echoed those sentiments. Article content 'The process for us now is to take this agreement to the entire membership for ratification; we're going to do that over the next week or so,' Walsh said. 'I'm happy with the process. Hopefully, the players will be happy with the outcome.' Article content So, what does this mean for hockey fans in Canada? Article content All teams will have to be cap-compliant for the playoffs, which will help even the playing field. Article content THE ALMIGHTY DOLLAR Article content The cap will rise significantly over the next three seasons, which will make life more challenging for small-market teams in places such as Ottawa and Winnipeg in a league where the salaries are paid in U.S. dollars. Article content This year, teams can spend up to $95.5 million US, but in 2026-27, that number will rise to $104 million. It will go up to $113 million in 2027-28. Article content If Winnipeg and Ottawa want to spend up to the cap in 2027-29, it will cost the seven clubs north of the border $154 million in Canadian currency, based on the current exchange rate. Article content 'What we were trying to do was catch up after a number of years of a flat cap, and so we were trying to do that on an orderly basis,' Bettman said of releasing salary projections for three seasons. Article content 'Over the years, our projections have been pretty good, and while we can always agree to make adjustments if circumstances warrant, we think the projections that we made and the caps that we put in place for the next three years are where they should be.'
The Star
10 hours ago
- Business
- The Star
NHL, NHLPA reach terms on labor pact that goes through 2029-30 season
(Reuters) -The National Hockey League and union representing its players announced on Friday that they have agreed to a four-year extension of the collective bargaining agreement that will carry through the 2029-30 season. The two parties, who made the announcement during a joint news conference, signed a memorandum of understanding and the deal requires ratification from both NHL owners and the NHL Players' Association membership. "We can all look forward to at least five years more of labor peace of the Players' Association and the NHL working together," NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman told reporters ahead of the 2025 NHL Draft in Los Angeles. "While we didn't agree on everything, we had a very constructive, professional, collaborative collective bargaining process, which I think you all know started (at the) end of March and April. The current CBA, which was signed in 2013 with a four-year extension ratified in 2020, expires in September 2026. Among the changes that have been reported is the regular season expanding to 84 games per team from 82 while the pre-season drops to four games from six per team. Reaching an agreement well before the current CBA expires is a welcome sign for a league that has experienced three lockouts in the last 30 years. "We thought that it would be good to get this conversation moving," said NHLPA Executive Director Marty Walsh, a former U.S. Labor Secretary who took on his current role in February 2023. "The process for us now is to take this agreement to the entire membership for ratification; we're going to do that over the next week or so. "I'm happy with the process. Hopefully, the players will be happy with the outcome." (Reporting by Frank Pingue in Toronto, editing by Pritha Sarkar)
