NHL Salary Cap Set to Balloon by $25.5M over 3 Seasons

Mar 24, 2023; Columbus, Ohio, USA; The NHL logo is seen on the game net prior to the game between the New York Islanders and the Columbus Blue Jackets at Nationwide Arena. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports/ File Photo
Mar 24, 2023; Columbus, Ohio, USA; The NHL logo is seen on the game net prior to the game between the New York Islanders and the Columbus Blue Jackets at Nationwide Arena. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports/ File Photo
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NHL Salary Cap Set to Balloon by $25.5M over 3 Seasons

Mar 24, 2023; Columbus, Ohio, USA; The NHL logo is seen on the game net prior to the game between the New York Islanders and the Columbus Blue Jackets at Nationwide Arena. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports/ File Photo
Mar 24, 2023; Columbus, Ohio, USA; The NHL logo is seen on the game net prior to the game between the New York Islanders and the Columbus Blue Jackets at Nationwide Arena. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports/ File Photo

The NHL and the NHL Players' Association have agreed on a plan that will boost the salary cap to $113.5 million for the 2027-28 season, the two sides announced Friday.

The current cap is $88 million and will increase to $95.5 million in 2025-26, to $104 million in 2026-27 and ultimately to $113.5 million. That's an increase of $25.5 million over the span.

Those figures are the upper levels of a salary limit, but the NHL also has lower limits that teams must spend. They are $70.6 million in 2025-26, $76.9 million in 2026-27 and $83.9 million in the final season of the agreement, Reuters reported.

The lower limit currently is $65 million.

The league said the numbers could be slightly altered in the final two seasons of the deal.

The salary limit represents one part of a new Collective Bargaining Agreement, which commissioner Gary Bettman has said he hopes is finalized this year -- perhaps as early as June.

"I don't want to prognosticate on collective bargaining," Bettman said. "We have a very open, constructive relationship with the Players' Association right now. I find working with (NHLPA executive director) Marty Walsh and (assistant executive director) Ron Hainsey ... very constructive, very professional, very cordial. So we're not going to get ahead of ourselves and prognosticate as to what's going to happen, although we hope to do this as quickly and as seamlessly as possible."

Whenever enacted, a new spending limit will benefit top NHL players as they hit free agency. Defenseman Aaron Ekblad of the Florida Panthers, Mikko Rantanen of the Carolina Hurricanes and Mitch Marner of the Toronto Maple Leafs are due to become free agents this summer, with superstar captain Connor McDavid of the Edmonton Oilers headlining a star-studded free agent class of 2026.



Spurs Midfielder Maddison Silences Critics with Winner Against Man United 

Football - Premier League - Tottenham Hotspur v Manchester United - Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London, Britain - February 16, 2025 Tottenham Hotspur's James Maddison celebrates scoring their first goal. (Action Images via Reuters)
Football - Premier League - Tottenham Hotspur v Manchester United - Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London, Britain - February 16, 2025 Tottenham Hotspur's James Maddison celebrates scoring their first goal. (Action Images via Reuters)
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Spurs Midfielder Maddison Silences Critics with Winner Against Man United 

Football - Premier League - Tottenham Hotspur v Manchester United - Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London, Britain - February 16, 2025 Tottenham Hotspur's James Maddison celebrates scoring their first goal. (Action Images via Reuters)
Football - Premier League - Tottenham Hotspur v Manchester United - Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London, Britain - February 16, 2025 Tottenham Hotspur's James Maddison celebrates scoring their first goal. (Action Images via Reuters)

James Maddison delivered the perfect riposte to his doubters by scoring the winning goal against Manchester United after the Tottenham Hotspur midfielder had come in for some stinging criticism in the lead-up to Sunday's Premier League match.

Making his first start since suffering a calf injury in December, Maddison tapped in a rebound from close range to give his side a 1-0 win in London, celebrating his goal with a shushing gesture.

Earlier in the week, former Manchester United captain Roy Keane had said anyone who thought Maddison's return to the side would help Spurs break into the top six was living in "cuckoo land."

"He got relegated with Leicester and he'll get relegated with Spurs," Keane said on "The Overlap" podcast.

"There was a little bit of outside noise this week," Maddison, who joined Spurs from Leicester City in 2023, told Sky Sports.

"People will have their opinions, but I wanted to do my talking on the pitch. I hope there is a certain few that enjoyed me being the match-winner today.

"Nobody is more critical of myself than me," he added.

"To be fair to the gaffer, he always talks about blocking out the outside noise, but sometimes it's difficult, you know. It's constantly in your face, social media and WhatsApp."

Despite the win Spurs remain in the bottom half of the table, sitting in 12th spot on 30 points after 25 games. They visit Ipswich Town on Saturday.