The league and union have been in talks since April and are on the verge of a memorandum of understanding done more than a year before the current CBA expires.

The NHL and NHL Players' Association are on the verge of extending the collective bargaining agreement more than a year before it expires and expanding the regular season to 84 games.

According to Chris Johnston and Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic, the NHL and NHL Players' Association agreed to the key framework for a new collective bargaining agreement, including an 84-game schedule starting in 2026-27 and new contractual rules.