BLOG: Long Term Deal Reached Between NHL and NHLPA

General Manager Tom Fitzgerald has a timeframe to work with and it brings a sense of relief.

On Friday night, the NHL and PA agreed to long-term labor peace with a Memorandum of Understanding on a new Collective Bargaining Agreement. The deal will carry through at least until 2025-26.

"No one likes labor wars," Fitzgerald said, "I know the players don't like it. I know ownership, the management doesn't like it. Knowing that we've got quite some time here to keep the game on the ice rather than fighting off the ice, is exciting for any hockey team."

"The product that we've created as a hockey family, led by Gary Bettman is an incredible game now," he continued, "And it's a billion-dollar industry. And it's a billion-dollar industry for a reason. Because it's a great game to watch, fast, it's exciting, it's physical. It needs to be it needs to stay on the ice, that's the bottom line."