The NHL will implement a playoff salary cap and remove team dress code requirements beginning this season, a person with knowledge of the situation said.
The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Wednesday because the decisions had not been announced.
The league and the NHLPA agreed to those changes as part of a new collective bargaining agreement that begins in September 2026.
The sides opted to make the playoff cap and dress code policy adjustments immediately rather than waiting another year. Teams will be required to submit a cap-compliant 20-player roster for each playoff game.
Several teams over the past decade have used the lack of a postseason cap to win the Stanley Cup or make a deep run, with players on long-term injured reserve not returning until the first round.
The Chicago Blackhawks did so with Patrick Kane in 2015, the Tampa Bay Lightning with Nikita Kucherov in 2021, the Vegas Golden Knights with Mark Stone in 2023 and the Florida Panthers with Matthew Tkachuk this past season — all going on to become champions — and it was all allowed under the current CBA.
Extending the regular season to 84 games from 82, reducing the maximum length of contracts and other changes will go into effect in 2026-27. Until Sept. 15, 2026, players can re-sign with their own teams for up to eight years or join another for up to seven — and after that it will become seven and six, respectively.