Bettman: Salary cap jump, CBA talks expected in 2025
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National Hockey League commissioner Gary Bettman said Tuesday he expects the salary cap to rise once again for the 2025-26 season.
Bettman cautioned that a projection was very preliminary but estimated the cap could rise by $4.5 million to a total of $92.5 million.
The salary cap jumped by $4.5 million to the current mark of $88 million after sitting at $83.5 million in 2023-24. The salary cap for the 2022-23 season was $82.5 million, marking the first time the cap increased in three years due to the pandemic as it remained at $81.5 million from the 2019-20 campaign through 2021-22.
New NHL CBA to be signed early?
Speaking after the NHL Board of Governors meeting in New York, Bettman also said he expects talks on a new collective bargaining agreement to begin early in 2025, with the current deal set to expire in Sept. 2026.
"We will probably begin having more discussions with the Players' Association after the first of the year," Bettman said, per the league's website. "We've said that it could be as early as November, but I think everybody's still got some homework to do. You know that the union's on their fall tour, so no big deal. It's just, I think, in terms of timing, that's probably the most realistic. Which is still well, well in advance, and we think we're collectively, in terms of the relationship, in a good place."
Among the topics on the agenda for a new CBA, TSN Hockey Insider Pierre LeBrun reports the NHL and NHL Players' Association have already discussed reducing the preseason to four games and extending the regular season by two games to a total of 84.
Bettman added he believes the deal could be finalized as soon as June, but did not put a firm timeline on reaching a deal.
"I don't want to speculate. If we had it done by my media avail at the Stanley Cup Final, everybody would be very happy," Bettman said. "That's not a discussion in terms of the timetable that I've had with (NHLPA Executive Director) Marty Walsh. So, I don't want to put any unfair or undiscussed parameters on it. It'll be what it'll be. But I think based on the status of our relationship, this will be fine."
Bettman also reiterated Tuesday that expansion is not currently on the league's agenda.