NHL Reportedly Considering Major Change to Regular Season Schedule in 2026
Photo credit: NHL
Changes could be on the horizon for the National Hockey League's regular season starting in the fall of 2026.
The National Hockey League has changed in a big way over the last 25 years with expansion to Las Vegas and Seattle, along with record-setting revenue, which will allow the salary cap to jump significantly in the years to come, which is big news for all 32 franchises.
Along with the salary cap, the National Hockey League is reportedly looking at more big changes, this time, for their regular season schedule.
NHL considering two game increase to regular season schedule
On Thursday's edition of Insider Trading on TSN, Pierre LeBrun reported that the National Hockey League is considering the possibility of going from an 82-game schedule to an 84-game one starting in 2026-27.
LeBrun also shared that there's been talk about moving up the NHL's regular season schedule to late September, while the Stanley Cup will still be handed out in late June.
"I'm told in late September, they're talking about puck drop for the regular season and yet still have the Stanley Cup Final played out into late June. More days added to the regular season calendar is what the league is talking about behind the scenes right now.
Part of that is because, as discussed before, the idea is to perhaps go to an 84-game season and to shorten pre-season, but also it's to help with the congestion of the schedule when the league now is committed to best-on-best hockey every two years between the Olympics and World Cups of hockey. So that's for 2026-27." LeBrun said.
Part of that is because, as discussed before, the idea is to perhaps go to an 84-game season and to shorten pre-season, but also it's to help with the congestion of the schedule when the league now is committed to best-on-best hockey every two years between the Olympics and World Cups of hockey. So that's for 2026-27." LeBrun said.
If the NHL and NHLPA do agree to this jump in the amount of regular season games starting in 2026, it won't be the first time the league has had an 84-game campaign.
During the 1992-93 and 1993-94 seasons, the NHL and NHLPA agreed as part of the CBA to play 84 games, a jump from 80 during the 1991-92 campaign.
Each franchise played two neutral site games during both seasons with 84 games before the league transitioned to 82 games in 1995-96 following a lockout-shortened 1994-95 campaign.
Those neutral site games helped the National Hockey League identify potential expansion and relocation options including Dallas, Texas (North Stars moved from Minnesota in Fall 1993); Miami, Florida (Expansion franchise in 1993); Phoenix, Arizona (Relocation of Jets in 1996); Atlanta, Georgia (Expansion in 1999) and Minneapolis, Minnesota (Expansion in 2000).
It's unlikely that this time around those two extra games will be used for neutral site games, but it will create additional revenue for each of the 32 franchises and if the regular season begins in late September, extra rest for players as well.
We'll likely find out confirmation of this decision, if agreed upon, when the NHL and NHLPA put pen to paper on the next Collective Bargaining Agreement, which could come at anytime in 2025 before it expires in September 2026.
Source: Pierre LeBrun/Insider Trading
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| POLL | ||
MARS 14 | 415 ANSWERS NHL Reportedly Considering Major Change to Regular Season Schedule in 2026 Should the NHL increase their regular season to 84 games? | ||
| Yes | 155 | 37.3 % |
| No | 260 | 62.7 % |
| List of polls | ||
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