The NHL Players' Association will not exercise its right to reopen the NHL/NHLPA Collective Bargaining Agreement, the union announced Monday.
The 10-year agreement that was ratified in January 2013 will remain scheduled to expire Sept. 15, 2022.
The NHL, which faced a Sept. 1 deadline to make its decision, announced Aug. 30 it would not reopen the agreement. The NHLPA had until Monday to decide.
"While players have concerns with the current CBA, we agree with the League that working together to address those concerns is the preferred course of action instead of terminating the agreement following this season," NHLPA executive director Don Fehr said.
"We have been having discussions with the League about an extension of the CBA and expect that those talks will continue."
Had the NHL or the NHLPA chose to reopen the CBA, the agreement would have expired Sept. 15, 2020.
The NHL and NHLPA have met regularly throughout the offseason to discuss a possible extension and plan to continue meeting. Each side has said the talks have been productive and cordial.
The NHL has lost games because of work stoppages prior to ratifying the past three collective bargaining agreements, including the entire 2004-05 season, and the first three months of 2012-13 and 1994-95.
RELEASE: NHLPA declines to reopen collective bargaining agreement
Deal between NHL, players runs through Sept. 15, 2022; talks to extend ongoing
