Bettman: NHL, NHLPA in ‘really good shape’ regarding upcoming CBA talks

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said the NHL and the league’s player union, the NHLPA, are in “really good shape” in terms of negotiations on a new collective bargaining agreement.

The current deal, which was extended during the COVID-19 pandemic, is set to expire on Sept. 15, 2026. Bettman spoke with media ahead of Game 1 of the 2025 Stanley Cup Final, saying his chats with NHLPA executive director Marty Walsh are “no comparison” to previous CBA discussions.

“I think we are having very constructive, professional, cordial dialogue,” Bettman said. “We started a little bit later than we had anticipated, for a variety of reasons on both sides. So I don’t have an announcement to make today that we have a deal. But we have more than a year to go and I think we’re in really good shape having really good discussions.”

The NHL has dealt with lockout over the past 21 years, which included losing the 2004-05 season and the first half of the 2012-13 campaign. Bettman said the relationship between the two parties are in good standing as they work together on the next deal.

“I think that’s a testament to Marty Walsh and Ron Hainsey and the people at the Players Association who have been working tirelessly with us,” Bettman said. “Whether it’s Hockey Fights Cancer with the V Foundation or 4 Nations, I think we’re in a really good place in terms of our relationship.”

Walsh shared similar sentiments in a smaller media scrum following Bettman’s availability.

“It’s moving steady, it’s moving forward,” Walsh said said. “I feel good with where we are, and we’ll see what happens. It gets complicated at certain times, any collective bargaining agreement. But it’s not where it was in the past here where you’re seeing national disputes between organized labour and companies.” 

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