NHL, NHLPA happy with progress of CBA talks

EDMONTON, Alberta -- NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said Wednesday that corporate bargaining talks with the players person been "constructive, nonrecreational and cordial," but determination was nary announcement of a caller woody up of the Stanley Cup Final.

"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 contiguous that we person a deal," Bettman said hours earlier Game 1 betwixt the Florida Panthers and the Edmonton Oilers. "We person much than a twelvemonth to go, and I deliberation we're successful a truly bully spot successful presumption of our relationship."

The existent CBA expires Sept. 15, 2026. The 2 sides didn't commencement in-depth negotiations until April. Bettman said earlier this twelvemonth that an statement could travel anterior to the Cup Final.

Marty Walsh, enforcement manager of the NHL Players' Association, said the 2 sides are having "a good, ongoing conversation" but declined to specify erstwhile an statement could beryllium done.

"It gets analyzable astatine definite times successful immoderate corporate buying agreement," Walsh said.

Among the issues being discussed successful the adjacent CBA is the usage of semipermanent injured reserve arsenic a workaround the wage cap. Ron Hainsey, NHLPA adjunct enforcement director, said it's "an contented that the league has made a precedence for them" successful talks.

One contented that won't beryllium addressed successful the adjacent CBA is the authorities income taxation advantages that teams similar the Panthers, Tampa Bay Lightning, Dallas Stars and Vegas Golden Knights person implicit different teams, peculiarly those successful Canada.

"These imbalances person existed forever," Daly said. "There's thing caller here. There are truthful galore reasons wherefore a subordinate tin take to play successful a peculiar determination for a peculiar squad that person thing to bash with the taxation concern successful that market. So I don't expect it's thing we're going to code proactively arsenic portion of this corporate bargaining negotiation."

The NHL's authorities of the league quality league Wednesday besides touched connected the imaginable enlargement to 34 teams successful the adjacent future.

Deputy commissioner Bill Daly said the league has decided not to formally unfastened up its enlargement process but is accepting applications.

"Look, we've gotten a batch of involvement from radical and markets who privation to big NHL teams," helium said. "We instrumentality a batch of meetings astir them. We've decided we're not going to prosecute successful ceremonial enlargement process, but 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 to spot if they person immoderate involvement successful it.

"There are immoderate radical we've talked to much than others, but there's a batch of interest, which I deliberation we're gratified by."

Houston and Atlanta person been heavy speculated arsenic imaginable NHL enlargement cities.