{"id":152566,"date":"2025-09-18T11:45:14","date_gmt":"2025-09-18T11:45:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/152566\/"},"modified":"2025-09-18T11:45:14","modified_gmt":"2025-09-18T11:45:14","slug":"nhl-player-poll-what-they-love-in-the-new-cba-no-dress-code-fitness-testing-and-what-they-dont","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/152566\/","title":{"rendered":"NHL player poll: What they love in the new CBA (no dress code, fitness testing) and what they don\u2019t"},"content":{"rendered":"

One thing that was clear during our polling of NHL players<\/a> at the recent player media tours in Las Vegas and Milan is that they feel the NHL is in a great spot and are very satisfied with the job the NHL Players\u2019 Association, specifically executive director Marty Walsh and assistant executive director Ron Hainsey, did across the table from NHL commissioner Gary Bettman and deputy commissioner Bill Daly during the latest collective bargaining agreement negotiations.<\/p>\n

Things were so harmonious that the NHL and NHLPA extended the agreement<\/a> well in advance of its expiration for a change.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe don\u2019t want that hanging over our head as players, as a league, as fans,\u201d Vegas Golden Knights center Jack Eichel said. \u201cThe league\u2019s in a really good place right now.\u201d<\/p>\n

After playing two years in the NHL, Jordan Eberle was assigned to AHL Oklahoma City during the NHL\u2019s last work stoppage in 2012. He still remembers how unsettled things were back then and the uncertainty of not knowing, Are we coming back? What\u2019s going on?<\/p>\n

\u201cThe league\u2019s in a great state right now,\u201d the now-Seattle Kraken captain said.<\/p>\n

Players are so happy with where the league\u2019s at, in fact, that in asking them \u201cWhat\u2019s one thing the new CBA doesn\u2019t address that you wish it did?\u201d the most common response was some version of \u201cnothing.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI think most of the players are happy with how everything rolled out this year,\u201d Montreal Canadiens captain Nick Suzuki said. \u201cObviously, we don\u2019t want to go into any kind of type of lockout again, but our PA is really good. They do a lot of work for us and give us all the information that we need to make the final call in the end. \u2026 I think overall, both sides came to a good agreement and we\u2019re happy that we can keep playing with little hiccups.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Sure, some things could always be better.<\/p>\n

Some players said that they wished the playoff format had been changed and that there was a play-in like the NBA.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut I know Gary\u2019s totally against it<\/a>,\u201d one Western Conference center said. (Players\u2019 answers were anonymous so they could speak freely, although many did agree to go on the record with specific responses.)<\/p>\n

A handful of players weren\u2019t ecstatic about the extended 84-game seasons that will begin in 2026-27, with one Eastern Conference forward saying, \u201cI think 82 is plenty.\u201d<\/p>\n

And half a dozen players wished there was some way to address the perceived advantage teams like the Florida Panthers, Tampa Bay Lightning, Nashville Predators, Dallas Stars, Vegas Golden Knights and Seattle Kraken have because they play in states where no income tax is removed from paychecks beyond federal income taxes.<\/p>\n

This is something Hainsey himself doesn\u2019t see as a problem yet, and as one Eastern Conference goalie said, \u201cWhile I think it\u2019s an issue, I don\u2019t know how you make it work or fix it. What if a guy is traded from a no-state-tax state to a state-tax state or vice versa?\u201d<\/p>\n

There were plenty of things players do like about the new CBA. They don\u2019t have to wear suits to games anymore \u2014 though they must dress in a manner consistent with “contemporary fashion norms” for games and travel. Also, starting next year, the NHL is eliminating training camp fitness tests and reducing training camp to 13 days for players who played 50 games the previous season and 18 days for others, and also going to a maximum of four preseason games \u2014 or two for players with 100 games of service.<\/p>\n

Some players are also pleased that the CBA closes the LTIR loophole by introducing a playoff salary cap<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cI thought they did a really good job,\u201d Detroit Red Wings forward Lucas Raymond said.<\/p>\n

Here are further thoughts from players on each of those topics.<\/p>\n

No dress code<\/p>\n

As one Western Conference forward said, \u201cI\u2019m still wearing suits.\u00a0It\u2019s part of your routine. What am I going to do with them? Just keep them in closet?\u201d<\/p>\n

Added another Western Conference forward, \u201cIt\u2019s a nice feeling on a game day. Not a lot of other times you can wear a suit. Maybe a wedding?\u201d<\/p>\n

Another Western Conference forward concurred: \u201cI don\u2019t agree with the dress code. I like to wear suits. We\u2019re professionals. It\u2019s not that hard.\u201d<\/p>\n

But a number of players like the fact that the league and union will now allow players to express themselves more.<\/p>\n

\u201cComparing to other leagues, you see a lot of players showcase themselves and fashion out,\u201d said an Eastern Conference defenseman. \u201cA lot of players built that into a brand. Shai (Gilgeous-Alexander) on OKC is like a walking fashion show for high-fashion brands. You don\u2019t see that with hockey players.\u201d<\/p>\n

Many players said they\u2019d keep suits in the rotation but, especially on the road, will have days they dress more casually or stylish.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor the road, it\u2019s so much easier when you don\u2019t have to carry the suits around,\u201d an Eastern Conference defenseman said.<\/p>\n

Youngster Macklin Celebrini of the San Jose Sharks is one who enjoys wearing a suit and tie, saying, \u201cIt\u2019s just business. You’re coming to work. But at the same time, I think it’s good to kind of show your style if you have any.\u201d<\/p>\n

Added New Jersey Devils forward Jack Hughes, \u201cIt’s up to the individual, right? I’d say you’ll see a lot of suits, though, just because guys probably spent so much money on suits over the years. Some guys have been playing 15 years. They probably have 50 suits. And that’s crazy. \u2026 But, yeah, that would be great, just going to the rink and wearing whatever you want to wear.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nashville Predators veteran Brady Skjei said, \u201cWe have some guys who have some pretty good style, so it\u2019ll be fun to let them loose a little bit. But I won’t be one of those guys.\u201d<\/p>\n

Added Carolina Hurricanes forward Seth Jarvis, \u201cI don’t know where I’m going to take it. If they start letting sweats into the rink, then I’m gonna be all over that.\u201d<\/p>\n

No fitness testing<\/p>\n

The same player who feels it\u2019s professional to wear suits to games is bothered by the elimination of fitness testing starting next season.<\/p>\n

\u201cI mean, we\u2019re professional athletes. We should be testing,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Another Eastern Conference defenseman agreed, saying, \u201cThere should be fitness testing, just standardized for all teams.\u201d<\/p>\n

And that\u2019s what another Western Conference forward said it all comes down to: \u201cTesting right now is team-based. It doesn\u2019t affect us too much, but some teams have horrible testing.\u201d<\/p>\n

A player who plays for one of those teams said, \u201cThose tests are always a grind. None of us look forward to the start of camp.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jarvis is a fan of the change. \u201cNo fitness testing, when that kicks off, I\u2019m gonna be a happy camper,” he said. “That would alleviate a lot of stress in my life.\u201d<\/p>\n

Vancouver Canucks captain Quinn Hughes thinks the tests make no sense.<\/p>\n

\u201cI need to prove that I\u2019m in shape? Like, I play the most minutes in the league,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Hughes\u2019 brother, Jack, joked, \u201cThey’re gonna find their way around it. There won’t be a skate test, though. It\u2019ll just be a \u2018fitness drill\u2019 instead.\u201d<\/p>\n

Eberle joked that he\u2019s excited about the elimination of fitness tests but wishes it had happened \u201c10 years ago.\u201d<\/p>\n

Shorter training camp, fewer preseason games<\/p>\n

In our player poll that ran Wednesday, going to an 84-game season and shortening training camp received positive reviews from 32 of 39 responders.<\/p>\n

As Quinn Hughes said, \u201cI train my ass off all the time,\u201d so having a long camp that tires players out \u201cis so archaic to me.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCamp just drags on and on and on, and it used to be much longer in the old days,\u201d said a Western Conference forward. \u201cTo me, this is the change that every player loved even though it means two more games. But I’d rather play two more games that mean something than exhibition games.\u201d<\/p>\n

Playoff salary cap<\/p>\n

Adding a salary cap<\/a> for teams during the playoffs, Boston Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy said, \u201cjust makes sense to everybody. Like, you shouldn\u2019t be able to field a roster that\u2019s $20 million over the cap. And I think everybody sort of understood that.\u201d<\/p>\n

Added the New York Rangers\u2019 Will Cuylle, \u201cI think it just makes for a more fair, even playing field in the playoffs.\u201d<\/p>\n

Tampa Bay Lightning captain Victor Hedman played on a Cup champion that benefited from the LTIR loophole in 2021. He said, \u201cThat\u2019s going to be tough for GMs. But on the other hand, you have to follow the rule just like you\u2019ve followed the rules before.\u201d<\/p>\n

Post-career health care<\/p>\n

Thanks to the hard work of Glenn Healy, the head of the NHL Alumni Association, the NHL and NHLPA established a $4 million fund to ensure post-career health care for players \u2014 whether they’ve played one shift or 1,000 games \u2014 and their families.<\/p>\n

One player was really touched by that.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere’s so many guys that did so much for the league and the players in the past, and trying to continue to make that a number-one priority moving forward is something that a lot of players feel really good about,\u201d St. Louis Blues center Robert Thomas said.<\/p>\n

(Top photo of Marty Walsh and Gary Bettman: Bruce Bennett \/ Getty Images)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"One thing that was clear during our polling of NHL players at the recent player media tours in…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":152567,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[433],"tags":[49,48,448,82],"class_list":["post-152566","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-nhl","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-nhl","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/152566","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=152566"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/152566\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/152567"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=152566"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=152566"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=152566"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}