The NHL is expanding its schedule and changing how you watch the game
In short: The 2026–27 season marks a major shift for the National Hockey League. With an 84-game regular season—the longest since 1993–94—and a massive overhaul in broadcasting rights, the way fans experience the sport is undergoing a fundamental transformation.
A new four-year collective bargaining agreement, reached on June 27, 2025, introduces several structural changes. Most notably, the regular season expands from 82 to 84 games, adding two divisional matchups. To accommodate this, the league has reduced the number of preseason games from six to four. The season officially began on September 29, 2026, and is scheduled to run through April 10, 2027, with the Stanley Cup playoffs expected to conclude in June.
The league is also tightening rules regarding emergency goaltenders. The era of using local amateur emergency back-up goaltenders (EBUGs) is over. Instead, teams must now hire their own dedicated emergency goaltender who travels with the squad. To prevent teams from hiring professional 'ringers,' these individuals must meet strict criteria: they cannot have played professional hockey in the previous three seasons, must have fewer than 80 career professional games, and cannot have ever played in the NHL under a standard player contract.
Broadcasting landscapes are also shifting significantly. In Canada, the 74-year relationship between the NHL and CBC Sports has ended, as CBC will no longer sub-license coverage from Rogers. Meanwhile, in the United States, the sixth season of the seven-year deal with ESPN and TNT continues, but with new players in the mix; Amazon Prime Video has taken over Wednesday Night Hockey from Sportsnet. This period of transition also follows the winding down of FanDuel Sports Network, which affected seven teams following financial difficulties.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: 2026–27 NHL season
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