NHL Sets Start Date for 2025-26 Season

The NHL set a start date for the upcoming 2025-2026 season.

Nov 7, 2024; Dallas, Texas, USA; A view an NHL puck and the Stars logo and the red face-off circle during the game between the Dallas Stars and the Chicago Blackhawks at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images / Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

The NHL is finalizing plans for the 2025-2026 season. As the league's general managers converge for their annual meetings, there's plenty of hot topics to discuss. The rising salary cap, the Collective Bargaining Agreement negotiations, and international tournaments are all on the docket.

The latest news to come out of the GM meetings is an official start date for the 2025-2026 season. NHL insider Chris Johnston was one of the first to report the news. Taking to his X account, Johnston shared that next year's regular season will begin on October 7th.

The 2025-26 NHL regular season will begin Oct. 7.

— Chris Johnston (@reporterchris) March 19, 2025

The announcement is the latest detail confirmed for next season. Previously, the league announced that the salary cap would see a significant jump over the next few seasons. The upper cap limit for the 2025-2026 was projected to be $92.4 million earlier in the season, which would be a $4 million jump from the current limit. But after meetings between the NHL and the NHLPA, the upper limit is now set to be $95.5 million in 2025-2026. The following seasons will see increases to an upper limit of $104 and then $113 million, representing huge jumps in payroll.

Along with the regular season schedule, the league is working hard on a new Collective Bargaining Agreement. The current one expires in 2026, but all sides remain positive a new one will be worked out before then. The change to the salary cap is a huge win for those negotiations, showing both the owners and NHLPA are willing to work together to get an agreement finalized.

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