OTTAWA — NHL commissioner Gary Bettman says the league hasn’t discussed increasing the 2025-26 salary cap. Bettman met with Ottawa media at the Canadian Tire Centre Tuesday evening ahead of the Ottawa Senators matchup against the Edmonton Oilers.
“I don’t know where that came from,” Bettman said. “The numbers that were being thrown around were not accurate and any change would require an agreement between us, the league and the Players Association in terms of how it’s computed. We haven’t had those discussions. So somebody, I think, floated something on a slow news day.
Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman first discussed “conversations” surrounding the cap potentially reaching $95 or $97 million on Hockey Night in Canada this past weekend, thanks to “strong” revenues since the league emerged COVID-19 pandemic. According to The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun, the NHLPA is actively speaking to players about the next collective bargaining agreement — the current one is set to expire in September 2026 — and the possibility that the salary cap will rise significantly.
The 2025-26 salary cap is estimated at $92.5 million, but Bettman said that figure was “way preliminary” in October. The NHL’s current salary cap is $88 million.
“It’s really too early for that to be a story,” Bettman said in October.
Bettman met with Senators’ owner Michael Andlauer and the Ottawa Board of Trade, as well as Ottawa mayor Mark Sutcliffe during his time in the Canadian nation’s capital before attending the Oilers-Senators game at the Canadian Tire Centre. The NHL commissioner also visited the LeBreton Flats grounds, the site of the Senators’ next arena, with members of the National Capital Commission. The Senators and the NCC reached an agreement in September to build a replacement venue for the Canadian Tire Centre.
“I know Michael Andlauer is committed to doing the right things and doing this in a way that people will feel good about,” Bettman said. “In the final analysis, I think moving the team downtown will be great for fans.”
(Top photo of Gary Bettman: Chris Tanouye / Freestyle Photography / Getty Images)
