2005 NHL Collective Bargaining Agreement

In July of 2005, the National Hockey League and NHL Players' Association signed a new collective bargaining agreement, which was later ratified by the NHL Board of Governors and NHLPA membership.

The agreement ended a 10-month lockout of the players, which caused the cancellation of the 2004-05 NHL season.

The initial announcement of the end of the lockout was was posted at the the NHL and NHLPA websites:

"The National Hockey League and the National Hockey League Players' Association have reached an agreement in principle on the terms of a new Collective Bargaining Agreement. Details of the new Agreement will not be made available publicly pending the formal ratification process by NHLPA Members and the NHL Board of Governors. It is anticipated that the ratification process will be completed next week, at which time the parties will be prepared to discuss the details of the Agreement and plans for next season. No further comment will be made until then."

The 2004-05 NHL lockout was the longest work stoppage in the sports history, and it ended with what many claimed to be the most complex collective bargaining agreement in sports history. At over 600 pages in length, the 2005 CBA completely overhauled the NHL economic system. It included a salary cap linked to league revenues, a comprehensive formula for calculating those revenues, and new policies governing everything from free agency, Olympic participation, salary arbitration, drug testing and more.

Initially signed as a six-year deal, the 2005 NHL CBA gave the NHL Players' Association an option to terminate it after the fourth year or extend it to a seventh year. The NHLPA exercised its right to extend the agreement, so it remained in effect until September of 2012.

Highlights of the 2005 NHL Collective Bargaining Agreement

(All figures in US dollars)