NHL CBA Negotiations: Gary Bettman Says Offseason Will Be ‘Business As Usual’

We don’t know what the NHL collective bargaining agreement will look like next season. In the worst case scenario, we don’t even know if there will be a season next year thanks to the lack of a CBA between the league and the NHL Players’ Association.

That shouldn’t stop teams around the league from operating normally this summer, however. At least, that’s what Gary Bettman says. Via Yahoo! Sports:

“I’m not going to comment as to what the next CBA may look like,” NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said as the GM meetings concluded at the Boca Beach Club. “But the CBA that we currently have is in effect until Sept. 15, and we told clubs to continue to operate under the CBA. Business as usual.”

Technically functioning under the current CBA and actually acting as though the current CBA is not expiring are two different things, and it’s unclear if it will truly be business as usual throughout the summer. There’s still the big question of the salary cap and where it will sit, plus whatever other changes could come in a new collective bargaining agreement.

Bettman may say it’s business as usual, but if there’s CBA uncertainty, it’s hard to imagine that will be the reality.

For all the news surrounding the NHL’s collective bargaining agreement and the ongoing quest to replace it, stick with this StoryStream.