NHL players extend CBA

We have been having discussions with the league about an extension of the CBA and expect that those talks will continue

LOS ANGELES (AFP) — The National Hockey League Players’ Association (NHLPA) declined to exercise its option to reopen the collective bargaining agreement (CBA) that brings labor peace to the world’s largest professional ice hockey league.

The move means the league will play without an interruption through the 2021-22 regular season when the expansion Seattle franchise begins play.

If the NHLPA had decided to reopen contract talks, then the current CBA would have expired 15 September 2020.

“While players have concerns with the current CBA, we agree with the league that working together to address those concerns is the preferred course of action instead of terminating the agreement following this season,” NHLPA chief Donald Fehr said.

“We have been having discussions with the league about an extension of the CBA and expect that those talks will continue.”

The league announced on 30 August that it would not reopen the agreement.

The league’s current collective bargaining agreement was ratified after the most recent lockout in 2013.

Since then, the league has seen the introduction of the 31st team, the expansion Vegas Golden Knights, and the soon-to-be Seattle franchise which doesn’t have a name yet.

The current NHL champions are the St. Louis Blues, who defeated the Boston Bruins in seven games in the 2019 Stanley Cup finals.