NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said Wednesday that talks with the National Hockey League Players' Association on the next collective bargaining agreement will begin in the first week of April. Bettman commented on the CBA talks -- and more -- in a conversation with reporters at the NHL general managers meetings in Manalapan,

The New York Islanders are scheduled to host All-Star Weekend at UBS Arena in Elmont, New York, in early February. It’s expected to be an unofficial send-off for NHL players who will be going to the 2026 Milano Cortina Olympics. The players would then leave from the New York area Feb. 7.

NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman indicated at the conclusion of the GM meetings in Florida on Wednesday that the league is reevaluating the format of the 2026 All-Star Game at UBS Arena next February, which will be just prior to the Winter Olympics in Milano Cortina.