Over the last couple weeks, the National Hockey League (NHL) and the NHLPA (National Hockey League Players Association) have been meeting to discuss a new CBA (Collective Bargaining Agreement). This is done quite often, as CBAs usually do not stay active for a long time with the current CBA expiring in September of 2026.
While several important topics have been discussed, one of the main ones that has been discussed is on biomedical treatment. The NHLPA has cited a dispute that occurred in 2021 between the Buffalo Sabres, and their former star, Jack Eichel, in which the team refused to exchange medical information on Eichel with teams that were interested in acquiring him.
In article 34.4 of the current CBA, it is stated that, “…the team physician shall determine the diagnosis and/or course of treatment (including the timing thereof) after consulting with the Second Medical Opinion Physician and the Third Physician Expert, if any, and giving due consideration to his/her/their recommendation(s).” This issue with the team’s medical officials making the final call on players’ statuses has been an issue in other sports as well. Most recently, the Miami Dolphins with star quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. This is done to ensure that players have more say over their medical history, which can help further their lucrative careers in the National Hockey League.
A similar issue that has been brought to the table relates to how medical information is finalized. The NHL’s approach to this is the same as both the NBA and MLS CBAs. With the current CBA discussions, the NHL hopes to achieve what the NFL and MLB do: allow for players to decide their treatment plan. These discussions are important to the growth of the NHL as its average contract value is only $3.2 million, a stark difference from the MLB’s $4.2 million and the NBA’s staggering $11.9 million. The negotiations will hopefully give players more say in their treatment, which will allow for them to recover sooner and create exciting play that will bring in more revenue to compete with the other major professional sports leagues.
