NHL players and coaches split on impact of first shortened pre‑season

The NHL’s first experiment with a shortened pre-season is in the books, and opinions across the league are far from unanimous. Under the new collective bargaining agreement, the regular season has been expanded to 84 games, while training camp has been tightened up, exhibition play cut to four games and roster decisions pushed up the calendar.

Fewer exhibition games, higher stakes

Veterans with more than 100 NHL games are now capped at two pre-season appearances, a steep drop from the traditional six to eight exhibition dates teams used to play. The change is designed in part to reduce wear and tear on star players heading into a longer schedule, and to eliminate the obligation to dress established lineups for games that do not affect the standings.

Injury history also played a role. In 2024, several prominent players were hurt before opening night, including Macklin Celebrini, Patrik Laine, Drew Doughty, Artemi Panarin and David Reinbacher. Reducing pre-season minutes was framed as a way to lower their exposure to that kind of risk before the games truly matter.

Coaches, however, are feeling the squeeze. With fewer practices and games, they have less opportunity to experiment with systems, shuffle combinations and give extended looks to prospects. Calgary Flames head coach Ryan Huska noted that the shortened window limited chances for young players to stand out and forced the club to make difficult cuts sooner than usual.

Veterans embrace change, prospects feel the crunch

Among established players, the shift has been embraced. Vegas Golden Knights captain Mark Stone said he likes the shorter camp and is eager to get straight to meaningful competition, viewing the first tune-up as enough to get comfortable before the real schedule begins. His general manager, Kelly McCrimmon, pointed to a heightened urgency to get all the necessary work done early in camp.

Carolina Hurricanes head coach Rod Brind'Amour pushed the idea even further, suggesting on TSN that he would rather see the league scrap pre-season completely and add more regular-season games instead. His stance underscores how little appeal exhibition play can have for players and coaches who already know where they stand on the depth chart.

For bubble players and prospects, every lost scrimmage and exhibition shift matters. With fewer opportunities to make an impression, the path to winning a job becomes even narrower. Young players are unlikely to criticize the changes publicly while trying to secure a roster spot, but the pressure on them has clearly intensified.

No more testing, more personal responsibility

Another under-the-radar tweak from the new CBA is the removal of mandatory fitness testing at camp. The assumption is that veterans now train year-round and do not need formal tests to get up to speed. Chicago Blackhawks forward Frank Nazar captured that mindset, saying that if a player does not arrive in shape and ready to excel, "someone’s going to take your spot."

Taken together, the changes appear to favour established NHLers, potentially boosting early-season quality while cutting down on unnecessary mileage. At the same time, they raise the bar yet again for the next wave of players trying to break in. In a league already regarded as one of the toughest in the world to reach, the road to a permanent NHL job just got a little steeper.