Everything Gary Bettman said at NHL’s GM meetings

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman spoke with the media for nearly 20 minutes Wednesday after three days of meetings with the league’s general managers.

Mar 19, 2025 - 21:10
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Everything Gary Bettman said at NHL’s GM meetings

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman spoke with the media for nearly 20 minutes Wednesday after three days of meetings with the league’s general managers.

Here is a roundup of the things he said.

CBA talks to begin in April

Bettman announced that formal negotiations with the NHLPA over a new CBA will begin in the first week of April. The current agreement expires in September of 2026, but the commissioner indicated he was hopeful talks with the union would go “quickly, quietly and painlessly.”
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4 Nations Face-Off ‘raised bar’ for future all-star games

Last month’s 4 Nations Face-Off was an overwhelming success for the NHL but has now put pressure on the league to keep the momentum going. The league has already scheduled an all-star game for next season to be hosted by the Islanders at UBS Arena, but Bettman said what that looks like has yet to be determined.
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NHL announces start date for next season

Bettman announced that the puck will drop on the 2025-26 season on Oct. 7. No other information about the schedule was shared, but the NHL has already announced a few dates for games in Europe and outdoor venues.
Read more.

Top prospects will attend NHL Draft in Los Angeles

The NHL will be debuting a new decentralized format for this year’s NHL Draft, but the players expected to be chosen early will still be in attendance. Bettman said the league also spoke to the general managers about the complicated logistics required to host the draft under this new format.
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Bettman shoots down changes to overtime, playoff format

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said regular-season overtime and the playoff format will not be seeing any changes. Bettman also announced that no rule changes were proposed during this week’s general managers meetings.
Read more.