NHL players are preparing for another lockout season
Photo credit: SI
It appears that another NHL lockout could be looming, as players prepare to secure their future, with their current contract negotiations.
The last time the NHL had labor strife was during the shortened 2012-2013 season as a result of the lockout.
The league and NHLPA worked cooperatively to keep the league running throughout the beginning of the pandemic when protective measures were still in place. However, as of now, the current Collective Bargaining Agreement ends in 2026.
While major leagues like the NBA, NFL, and MLB have seen a resurgence recently, the NHL hasn't had the same result.
Other major league's salary caps have exploded, while the NHL's remained flat for the last three years, and some teams even had an internal hard cap.
Now, with a new head of the NHLPA, Marty Walsh the players and their union will want to obtain a bigger piece of the pie.
Players are preparing for the future, as many NHL players are opting for signing bonuses, according to Travis Yost of TSN.
To illustrate this, consider just the contracts signed since the beginning of the calendar year. Notably, the multi-year contracts with term extending into the 2026-27 regular season have a sharp rise in signing bonus activity at the moment the league's contract expires.
By doing so, the players regain autonomy and allow them some time to survive a lockout.
After the last three years you'd think the owners wouldn't want a lockout either, but given how quickly they've instituted new revenues what is to stop them from asking for more?
For now, the players will have to protect themselves, in case things go south.
| POLL | ||
AOUT 29 | 115 ANSWERS NHL players are preparing for another lockout season Do you think the NHL will experience a lockout in 2026? | ||
| Yes | 45 | 39.1 % |
| No | 70 | 60.9 % |
| List of polls | ||
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