NHL may begin its regular season in September, introducing an 84-game playing schedule.
The National Hockey League (NHL) has announced plans for a significant change in its schedule for the 2026-27 season. The season is expected to start earlier than usual, in September, and will feature an 84-game regular season, according to Bill Daly, the Deputy Commissioner of the NHL.
Daly made this announcement during the NHL/NHL Players' Association European Player Media Tour in Italy. He also suggested that the preseason games for the upcoming season may be reduced to accommodate this earlier start.
This shift in the NHL schedule is part of the new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) between the NHL and the NHL Players' Association. The CBA contains provisions for an 84-game regular season, which is shorter than the traditional 82-game season.
The league plans to shorten the preseason to accommodate this earlier start. However, the speaker implied that roster decisions are not finalized after preseason games, suggesting that player evaluations and conditioning may not necessarily require preseason games.
The season is expected to run from late spring to June, with the regular season ending around the usual time, in mid-April. This means that the time between the end of the Stanley Cup and the start of the next season will be shorter than in previous years.
This change could be beneficial for fans, as they will get to enjoy hockey earlier in the year. Daly also expressed his preference for earlier hockey seasons, stating that it could provide a more natural flow to the sports calendar.
The NHL offseason is currently ongoing, and with the announcement of the new schedule, teams and players will have to adjust their plans accordingly. The 2026-27 NHL season is anticipated to start in September, marking a new era for the league.
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