The NHL will release its full 2026-27 regular-season schedule on July 16th. This marks the beginning of an 84-game season for the first time since 1993-94. 

The league confirmed the announcement plan this week, with the opening night matchups set to be released on July 15. This change happened because of the new bargaining agreement between the NHL and NHLPA.

The current 82-game format has been in use since 1995-96, aside from the lockout-shortened 2012-13 campaign. Before that, the NHL used to play 84-game seasons only in 1992-93 and 1993-94. This was when each team added two neutral-site games.

This time, the extra two games will be played within divisions rather than at neutral sites.

Right now, some division opponents get to play only three times a year because of a rotating schedule. But under this new format, teams like Toronto and Boston, Dallas and Colorado, and Washington and Pittsburgh will all meet four times every season. In total, the 2026-27 schedule will feature 1,344 games across all 32 teams.

The NHL and NHLPA agreed to the memorandum of understanding on June 27, 2025. It took place in Los Angeles, ahead of that year's draft. The deal was later ratified and runs through the 2030 season, giving the league time for four more years.

But this time, both sides had already agreed in February 2025 to jointly stage a World Cup of Hockey in 2028. And with league revenue and the salary cap set to keep rising over the next few years, there are no major disputes on the bigger issues that had slowed negotiations in the past.

However, the new change will have an impact on contracts.

Memorandum cuts down contracts

The new rule also cuts the maximum length of player contracts. Players who are re-signing with their own team can now sign for up to seven years instead of eight, as reported by NHL.com. And to make new deals with a new team, the maximum length is cut from seven years to six.

Toronto's John Tavares is now entering his 17th season, calling the process very different from the 2012 lockout talks.

"There's been tremendous growth, and what's ahead is spectacular on many fronts," he said. "The predictability of things goes a long way, I think, for everyone in the sport. It's great to have that partnership and how collaborative it's been, which has been very different from 2012."

Under the old rules, several players were locked in eight-year maximums before the shorter limits were put in place. That includes Nathan MacKinnon, Sebastian Aho, Leon Draisaitl, Juuse Saros, Travis Konecny, Mathew Barzal, and, as recently as March, Mikko Rantanen. 

Edmonton's Trent Frederic signed his own eight-year deal the same day the CBA memorandum was announced.

"I guess that could be a rarity now," he said. "Eight years is better than seven. It's good to lock in before that changes."

Veteran players with at least 100 career games will be limited to two preseason games, with fewer preseason games being played overall.

What are your thoughts on the changes? Let us know in the comments.

Read more at NHL Fan Central.

Written by

Aadhya Nalla

Edited by

Soheli Tarafdar