Updated for the 2026-27 NHL season. Salary arbitration is one of the NHL’s main tools for resolving contract disputes between eligible restricted free agents and their teams. Instead of testing unrestricted free agency, an eligible RFA can have an independent arbitrator determine the salary on a short-term contract.
What is NHL salary arbitration?
Salary arbitration is a CBA process available to certain restricted free agents. The player and club each submit a salary position and supporting evidence. If they do not reach an agreement before the hearing begins, an arbitrator hears the case and issues a binding award.
Who is eligible?
Eligibility depends on the player’s age when he signed his first NHL Standard Player Contract and the amount of professional experience he has accumulated.
| First NHL contract signing age | Professional experience required |
|---|---|
| 18–20 | 4 years |
| 21 | 3 years |
| 22–23 | 2 years |
| 24+ | 1 year |
For players aged 18 or 19, a year of professional experience generally requires at least 10 NHL games in that season. For players aged 20 or older, a year generally requires at least 10 professional games while under an NHL contract.
What happens after a player files?
Once an eligible RFA elects salary arbitration, he can no longer sign an offer sheet with another NHL team. The player and his club can continue negotiating and may agree to a contract before the hearing starts.
In 2026, player-elected arbitration filings were due July 5 and hearings were scheduled from July 20 through August 1. Those dates can shift slightly from year to year, so fans should always check the current offseason calendar.
How long can an arbitration contract be?
The arbitrator can award a one- or two-year contract. The party that did not elect arbitration chooses the term. If the player is only one year away from unrestricted free agency, the award can only be for one year.
What evidence can be used?
Arbitration cases can rely on the player’s performance, games played, role, injuries, length of service, leadership and comparable NHL contracts. The process is designed around the player’s value under the CBA rather than a completely open-market UFA bidding process.
Why do most cases settle before the hearing?
A hearing forces both sides to argue a player’s value in a formal setting, which can make negotiations uncomfortable. Teams and players often prefer to find a compromise before the hearing begins. Under the current rules, once the hearing has started, the case can no longer be settled privately before the award.
Can a team walk away from an award?
In certain player-elected arbitration cases, a club can walk away from an award above the league’s annual walkaway threshold. The threshold changes each year. For 2026, it was $4,950,080. A walkaway can make the player an unrestricted free agent.
Why arbitration matters to fans
- It can establish a player’s next contract without a long holdout.
- Filing removes the player’s offer-sheet option.
- The process creates firm offseason negotiation deadlines.
- Arbitration results can affect a team’s cap planning and trigger a second buyout window in qualifying situations.
Keep learning NHL contract rules
Continue with HockeyGamedayTV’s guides to RFA vs UFA, offer sheets, and the NHL salary cap.
Rule references: NHL/NHLPA Collective Bargaining Agreement and PuckPedia’s 2026 arbitration calendar.
More NHL rules explained: Visit the HockeyGamedayTV NHL Explainer Library for guides to contracts, free agency, waivers, LTIR, trades and the salary cap.
