Report: NHL, union discuss 84-game regular season

The NHL and NHL Players' Association have engaged in preliminary discussions about increasing the regular season to 84 games and modifying the league's calendar, according to TSN's Pierre LeBrun.

Two more contests would be tacked onto the regular-season schedule, which has been set at 82 games since 1995-96. The NHL played 84-game campaigns in 1992-93 and 1993-94 before slashing two outings.

No changes would be implemented before the existing collective bargaining agreement expires in September 2026.

The two sides have also discussed adjusting the calendar by trimming the preseason to four games per team, opening the regular season earlier in October, and handing out the Stanley Cup earlier in June.

In 2023-24, the regular season began Oct. 10, while the playoffs wrapped up June 24 as the Florida Panthers defeated the Edmonton Oilers in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final.

The NHL reportedly mulled the possibility of an 84-game schedule back in 2022 to create more regional rivalry matchups.