Gary Bettman Proposes Major Change to NHL Season Schedule

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Liam McCormick
October 2, 2024 (5:15 PM)

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Gary Bettman and the NHL have reportedly proposed a change to the season schedule while in talks with the Player's Association.

According to Pierre LeBrun, the NHL have brought up the idea of reducing the preseason to a maximum of four games. They would make up for lost revenue by adding two more regular season games, for a season total of 84 games.

The move to reduce the preseason and increase regular season games addresses a few different problems. Primarily, everyone is concerned about the rate of injuries that occur in meaningless preseason games. Already this season, big name players like Drew Doughty, Patrik Laine, Artemi Panarin, Brady Tkachuk, Macklin Celebrini, and much more have been injured.

Another reason expanding the regular season makes sense is due to NHL expansion. The league has added two new teams with Vegas and Seattle, and because the NHL wants each team to visit each other, the limit of 82 games takes away from repeated rivalry matchups. The Oilers and Flames will only play each other three times this year, much less than previous years.

Not only that, but more regular season hockey will satisfy just about every hockey fan. Preseason games, especially early ones with mostly minor league players, are often a tough watch even for hardcore fans. The sooner we get to the regular season, the better for everyone involved. The current CBA will expire after the 2025-26 season, which is when this change could take effect.

The Oilers and the rest of the NHL are officially in the home stretch now. Edmonton only has two preseason games left before opening their season against the Winnipeg Jets at home on October 9th.