Photo: TSN

According to TSN’s Bob McKenzie, the NHL and players’ association have finalized a “tentative agreement” on the phases three and four protocols of the league’s return-to-play plan but are still finalizing the details of the CBA extension, which would run through the 2025-26 season.

The entire package — RTP and CBA — will need to be ratified by NHLPA executive committee and then a full membership vote but no ratification will take place until the CBA MOU is complete. Also will require ratification by NHL Board of Governors.

— Bob McKenzie (@TSNBobMcKenzie) July 5, 2020

The NHL is letting teams open training camps a week from Monday and reportedly set to resume the season on Saturday, August 1 in Edmonton and Toronto in a 24-team Stanley Cup Playoff tournament.

NHL players have until 5 p.m. ET on Tuesday to notify their teams they’re opting out of participating in Phase 3 or 4, under the protocols tentatively agreed upon by the NHL and NHLPA.

There is no penalty for doing so.

— Chris Johnston (@reporterchris) July 6, 2020

A player vote could occur as soon as Monday. Both the NHL’s Board of Governors and the NHLPA’s full membership will need to approve the agreement.

Return to Play Stage 4 states, “Individuals leaving…without permission may be subject to consequences up to and including removal.” In addition, “violations…will result in, for clubs, significant penalties, potentially including fines and/or loss of draft choices.”

— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) July 6, 2020

The details of the CBA extension were released on Saturday:

• Return To Play Critical Dates
  • Monday 7/13 – training camps open
  • Sunday 7/26 – teams will arrive in Toronto (Eastern Conference hub), Edmonton (Western Conference hub)
  • Saturday 8/1 – 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs begin
  • Monday 8/10 – second phase of NHL Draft Lottery
  • First week of October (unless there is a COVID-19 outbreak in at least one of the bubbles) – Stanley Cup awarded
  • mid-October – 2020 NHL Draft (virtual)
  • Sunday 11/1 – Free Agency opens
• Opt-Out
  • players can opt-out of the tournament for any reason and will not be penalized
• Tournament Share
  • The 2020 Stanley Cup Playoff bonus pool is doubling this season from $16 million to $32 million
  • a player on a team that loses in the best-of-five qualifying round will receive $20,000
  • players in each round will see bonuses go up from there, with a share from the Stanley Cup-winning team worth $240,000 per player
• Term
  • six years
  • can also be extended by one year if the escrow debt from 2019-20 owing to owners goes beyond $125 million at the deal’s expiration
• Salary Cap
  • will stay at $81.5 million and remain there until hockey-related revenue goes back up to $4.8 billion (the amount projected for the 2019-20 season before it paused)
  • Once the revenue goes back up to $4.8 billion, the upper limit will be calculated using a new formula that relies on the actual revenue from two seasons ago, in addition to the projected revenue from the immediate prior season
• Olympics
  • Pending an agreement with the IOC and IIHF, NHL players will be able to participate in 2022 and 2026
• Signing Bonus limits
  • none
• Final Paycheck
  • will go to repaying their debt to owners ~ $140 million
• Escrow
  • players cannot pay a higher escrow percentage than:
    • 2020-21: 20%
    • 2021-22: 14-18% (TBD)
    • 2022-23: 10%
    • 2023-24-2025-26: 6%
• Salary Deferral
  • Players will put off 10% of both salary and signing bonus for next season, which will be paid back to players in three equal payments in 2023-24, 2024-25, and 2025-26
• No-Trade and No-Movement Clauses
  • All no-trade and no-move clauses will go with the player after he is dealt, even if the player is traded before the clause kicks in
• Outlawing Front-Loaded Deals
  • For high-value, front-loaded long-term deals (six-plus years, 7.5-plus% of cap), salary variability from the highest year to the lowest year will go from 50% to 35%
• Minimum Salary
  • The new league minimum salary is:
    • 2020-21: $750,000
    • 2021-22: $750,000
    • 2022-23: $750,000
    • 2023-24: $750,000
    • 2024-25: $775,000
    • 2025-26: $800,000
• Post-career Health Care Subsidy
  • players will also get a $3,500-$5,000 retirement health care subsidy
• Rehab Choice
  • Players will now be able to rehab long-term injuries wherever they want unless their team can prove that rehab will not be possible there
• No European Waivers
  • • Players who play in Europe will no longer have to go through waivers to return to the NHL if they sign their NHL contract by December 15
    • Previously, if a player played in Europe after the start of the regular season, waivers were required

  When NHL players are away from home during Phase 4, team personnel will assist with grocery delivery and errand delivery for their families, as needed.

  — Chris Johnston (@reporterchris) July 6, 2020

  By Harrison Brown