By Jonathan Kyriacou ( July 23, 2025, 11:49 AM EDT) -- The National Hockey League (NHL) and National Hockey League Players’ Association (NHLPA) recently announced the ratification of a new collective bargaining agreement, the term of which commences on Sept. 16, 2026, and expires on Sept. 15, 2030. While a number of changes are included in the new agreement, this article focuses on the elimination of the distinction between negotiating with draft picks from the Canadian Hockey League (CHL) or National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), and standardizing the retention of rights to exclusively negotiate with draft picks....