It’s hard to imagine that when he was captain of the Detroit Red Wings, Steve Yzerman would’ve been embracing the concept of adding more games to the already grueling NHL regular-season schedule.
Yzerman, the GM, though, is embracing the concept wholeheartedly.
“I think the 84-game season makes perfect sense,” Yzerman said. “I think it’ll give more balance to divisional games.
“If you want to have a balanced amount of regular season games in your division, teams visiting you once per year, it’s easier with an 84-game schedule…that’s the way it was sold to them.”
@FriedgeHNIC on the #NHL expanding it’s season with @Mattymar89 & @FutaMichael. pic.twitter.com/XZlMZSfjj7
— Sportsnet 590 The FAN (@FAN590) June 27, 2025
“I’m not exactly sure what the matrix is going to be as far as divisional games and whatnot, but it seemed to make sense to us.”
The NHL is planning to go with the 84-game regular season beginning in 2026-27. It’s a two-game increase over the current 82-game slate.
Red Wings Concerned by Lack Of Preseason Games
One concern Yzerman did express about the new format is the planned 50% reduction in preseason games. Preseason play will be curtailed from eight games to four games per team. That’s going to give the coaching staff much less time to assess prospects in game scenarios. It’s also going to allow a very limited opportunity for players on the bubble of making the roster to leave an impression.
I think the four preseason games, that’s going to be interesting,” Yzerman said. “It’s a bit of a challenge. You’re always weighing, getting, how many games your veteran players need to play.
“The guys that are really knocking on the door, the guys that you can consider call-ups, and then those players that are here really trying to push to make the team, it’s going to be hard to get everybody in a reasonable number of games with four.
“That’s the downside to it, but we’ll manage it. But I think the 84-game season makes a lot of sense.”
The first time the NHL had a 84 game season was 1992-93 producing the greatest season of all time in the NHL.
And subsequently the best hockey video game of all time. https://t.co/dglQJQI9uh
— nhl94.com (@nhl94dotcom) June 26, 2025
The NHL previously experimented with an 84-game season in 1992-93 and 1993-94. It was an agreement stemming from the 1992 NHL players’ strike that two games be added for each team to be played at neutral sites. The plan was dropped following the 1994-95 lockout.