TSN: Pierre LeBrun and Jay Onrait discuss postponing four more exhibition games and adding two regular season games.
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Onrait: “I had a lot of information from the Board of Governors meetings. He also said Tuesday that the NHL is looking to shorten the preseason to four games and add two more regular season games to bring the number to 84.
Which is something you put out there that I’ve never seen everyone at TSN agree on something, but they all did. That this would be a good idea. But my question to you, Pierre, is, is this really something that can happen next season?”
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LeBrun: “Well, here’s the thing. I mean, one discussion leads to another, because this will not happen until there is a new CBA. And so what I would like, I would tell you why it won’t happen for two years because the current CBA expires in September ’26 except that Gary Bettman, after the Board of Governors Meeting, was very optimistic about where this discussion is. may travel with the players from January. That said, in a perfect world, maybe there is a new CBA extension that will be announced at the Stanley Cup Final in June. “
OnraitL “Wow.”
LeBrun: “This June.”
Onrait: “Wow.”
LeBrun: “Like crazy. The reason I bring that up now, I know we can get into that, but that, that might affect things like what we’re talking about. Power, power for the schedule to change.
And I want to clarify something, the fact that, you know, I put out there that the league and the PA had very early discussions, you know, shortening the preseason games and maybe extending the regular season by two games. That is not new. I actually reported this in July, but I felt the need to repeat it yesterday, Jay, because I can see that fans are getting tired of the preseason…”
Onrait: “Yes.”
LeBrun: “.. and upset about the injury. I mean, (Patrik) Laine, (Drew) Doughty being the big two. But you just hold your breath. I mean, every time the Senators and the Habs and the Leafs play each other in that triangular rivalry, you hold your breath to make sure that everybody gets out of that game in one piece.
And, and I personally feel that Jay, that the NHL has grown to require an eight preseason, eight maximum, certain teams before each season. I spoke to several governors who agreed with me yesterday. I actually have a piece coming out in the Athletic in the next few days about that.
But the bottom line is, in the next CBA negotiations, the league will bring this up, and I think there will be an appetite on the player’s side to reduce the preseason games to maybe four, but then extend the regular season by two,
Because at the end of the day, it’s income. And the players are in the revenue pie with the owners. And if you lose money on one side, you have to adjust on the other side.
I hope it does, because, you know, here we are in October. We still haven’t started the season Jay, let’s really let it down. Yes, come on.”
Onrait: “Actually, there is not a single person who disagrees with you on this Pierre. What, what in the world, news, politics, entertainment, sports, no one agrees on the same thing. We all agree on this.
It’s really remarkable when you think about it.”
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LeBrun: “Well, imagine if they added a caveat, the Stanley Cup awarded on May 31st. Wouldn’t that make Jay happy, but that won’t happen, it won’t happen.”
Onrait: “Our dream of not having hockey in June is probably our dream.”
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