NHL, NHLPA announce $82.5 million salary cap for the 2022–23 season

The National Hockey League and its players’ association announced Thursday that the salary cap for the 2022–23 season will be set at $82.5 million.

The new figure represents a raise of $1 million from the $81.5 million salary cap seen in 2019–20, 2020–21, and 2021–22. All 32 NHL teams will additionally be required to spend more than $61 million next season (the “lower limit”).

According to PuckPedia, the Vancouver Canucks already have a projected $71.9 million total cap hit for next year — albeit with only one major pending restricted free agent (Brock Boeser) to sign.

The NHL first introduced the salary cap back in the 2005–06 season, setting a spending limit of $39 million for all 30 of its teams. The cap has grown relatively consistently since, with the only long periods of stagnation coming around the 2012 lockout and the COVID-19 pandemic.