The National Hockey League and the Players’ Association ratified an extension to their collective bargaining agreement in late June, which included a playoff salary cap.

According to TSN Hockey Insider Chris Johnston, the cap will be implemented immediately and take effect for the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs, meaning each team will be limited to icing a cap-compliant, 20-man roster for each game. 

As a result of the new rule, teams will no longer be able to stash players on long-term injury reserve and use their cap space to add players for the postseason. The new rule will also prevent teams from accruing cap space throughout the season and acquiring players mid-season at a fraction of their salary cap hit. Under the new playoff cap, a players’ full-season salary will be used to calculate if a team is compliant for the postseason. 

The only way to reduce an incoming cap hit will be via salary retention, which has now been limited by the elimination of double retention trades where players had salary retained by a third-party team in deals. 

Other immediate changes as part of the rolling implementation of the four-year CBA extension include: no deferred compensation in contracts, the removal of the rule preventing players from endorsing wine and spirits, and a new rule that prevents teams from implementing a player dress code.