The Carolina Hurricanes’ long-awaited Stanley Cup victory capped a record-setting season for the NHL, which Commissioner Gary Bettman said is expected to generate between $7.5 billion and $8 billion in revenue.
The victory ushers in a pivotal offseason that will culminate in a new collective-bargaining agreement taking effect and the regular-season schedule expanding by two games.
Here’s what you need to know heading into the break:
• Two more games: The NHL will adopt an 84-game regular-season schedule in 2026-27, an increase of two from the 82-game format that had been in place since 1995-96. The shift ensures a balanced schedule in which each team plays all its divisional opponents four times. The start of the regular season is expected to be moved up to late September. The change means one more home date per season for each of the league’s 32 teams to monetize, replacing less valuable preseason inventory.
• New CBA: The collective-bargaining agreement ratified by the NHL and NHL Players’ Association last summer will fully take effect on Sept. 16. While the changes are modest compared to prior deals, the CBA will usher in a new revenue-sharing system likely to benefit mid-tier revenue-generating teams. This summer also will provide the final window for eight-year player contract extensions. Beginning Sept. 16, maximum terms will be reduced by one year to seven years for players re-signing with their teams and six for players signing with a new team.
• Tip of the cap: The upper limit of the NHL salary cap will increase by another $8.5 million per team to $104 million, while the lower limit will rise to $76.9 million. With the cap rising by at least $7.5 million for a second-straight year and projected to climb another $9.5 million in 2027-28, there is potential for a larger gap between team payrolls than the NHL saw during the flat-cap era, when most clubs spent to the upper limit. The Hurricanes’ championship run, which came despite the club carrying more than $8 million in unused cap space, offers owners a fresh case study showing it is possible to win without spending to the limit.
• Canadian media: The NHL’s new 12-year Canadian media rights agreement with Rogers Communications takes effect in 2026-27, more than doubling the league’s average annual haul to C$917 million per season, or about US$655 million. The NHL and Rogers are still jointly negotiating a sublicensing deal for French-language rights, which will likely provide additional media rights revenue. The league’s U.S. deals with ESPN and TNT Sports run through 2027-28, with renewal negotiation windows opening in 2027.
• Local media: As part of a major restructuring, the NHL intends to produce and distribute local telecasts for an undetermined number of clubs beginning next season, following a model pioneered by MLB. The move follows the wind-down of regional sports networks owned by Main Street Sports, which has left several teams without an in-market home for their games. The Hurricanes are among the teams that have yet to announce their broadcast plans for next season, along with the St. Louis Blues, Minnesota Wild and Columbus Blue Jackets, making them the most likely candidates to work with the league.
Editor’s Note: This story has been revised from the print edition to clarify that the NHL and Rogers are negotiating a sublicensing agreement for French-language rights, rather than an entirely separate agreement.
