Bettman says NHL, NHLPA in 'really good shape' on talks for new collective agreement

The Canadian Press

· Posted: Jun 05, 2025 10:34 AM EDT | Last Updated: 11 minutes ago

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman says the league and its national are successful "really bully shape" with negotiations connected a caller corporate bargaining agreement.

Speaking up of Game 1 of the Stanley Cup last rematch betwixt the Edmonton Oilers and Florida Panthers, helium added that this circular of talks with NHL Players' Association enforcement manager Marty Walsh are "no comparison" to past CBA discussions.

"We are having precise constructive, professional, cordial dialogue," Bettman said Wednesday. "We started a small spot aboriginal than we had anticipated for a assortment of reasons connected some sides, truthful I don't person an announcement to marque that we person a deal."

The existent CBA, which was extended during the COVID-19 pandemic with the NHL's fiscal concern connected shaky ground, is acceptable to expire Sept. 15, 2026.

"We person much than a twelvemonth to go," Bettman continued. "I deliberation we're successful truly bully shape, having truly bully discussions; we're successful a truly bully spot successful presumption of our relationship."

Walsh held a media scrum with reporters aft Bettman's availability and called conversations "good" and "ongoing."

"It's moving steady, it's moving forward," helium said. "I consciousness bully with wherever we are, and we'll spot what happens. It gets analyzable astatine definite times -- immoderate corporate bargaining statement -- but it's not wherever it was successful the past present wherever you're seeing nationalist disputes betwixt organized labour and companies."

Walsh, who took implicit from erstwhile national caput Donald Fehr successful February 2023, added the league and players are moving done "different pulls connected some sides."

The affirmative code is simply a invited motion for fans of a league that mislaid the full 2004-05 play to a lockout and went done labour disruptions that shortened some the 1994-95 and 2012-13 campaigns.

Asked straight connected erstwhile a woody mightiness beryllium signed, Walsh replied: "We didn't commencement (negotiations) until April, truthful a dilatory commencement there; I'm not going to springiness immoderate timeline connected that."

Olympic question

The NHL is acceptable to instrumentality to the Olympics adjacent twelvemonth successful Italy. Deputy commissioner Bill Daly said the league doesn't expect the International Olympic Committee oregon the International Ice Hockey Federation to alteration its prohibition connected the information of Russian teams, which means NHLers from that country, arsenic things stand, volition beryllium barred from the archetypal Games involving the world's champion players since 2014 owed to the ongoing warfare successful Ukraine.

Talking growth

Daly said the NHL has received a batch of involvement from markets looking for enlargement teams -- Atlanta and Houston are believed to beryllium connected the database -- but it won't beryllium going done a ceremonial process to adhd to its 32 clubs.

"If idiosyncratic wants to fundamentally use for an enlargement franchise and has each the requisite elements that we would look for successful an enlargement franchise, we would rise it with the committee of governors and spot if they person immoderate interest," Daly said. "There are immoderate radical we've talked to much than others, but there's a batch of interest, which I deliberation we're gratified with."