ECHL Players Release Statement, Strike Looming

Amidst ongoing negotiations for a new Collective Bargaining Agreement, the ECHL Players released a statement, shared through the Professional Hockey Players’ Association (Twitter Link). Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet also shared that a possible five-year deal on a new CBA is closing in, but there has been little progress between the ECHL players, and the league, and a strike may occur as a result. 

The message emphasized that, despite bargaining efforts which have gone on for nearly a full calendar year, a new collective agreement has not been secured. The players noted the ECHL’s “unlawful conduct”, in which they made changes related to mandatory subjects of bargaining, even engaging in regressive bargaining. 

Ultimately, the players’ concerns on health and working conditions continue to be disregarded. The statement also mentioned that recently, the league sent out direct communications “in an attempt to bully and intimidate players with tactics that violate US labor law”. Therefore, it appears that the latest development has only further widened gaps between the league and its players in possible negotiations, and a strike could be on the horizon.

The statement ended with “The ECHL appears by their behavior to prefer bullying to bargaining and does not respect the process nor the players’ right to negotiate a fair settlement”. 

One such concern voiced by the players is helmets which properly fit. The ECHL has an equipment deal with Warrior, a major supplier of ice hockey equipment, which originated in 2019-20. Such deals in minor league hockey are not uncommon, as the AHL also has a deal with CCM. However, outside of not being able to select their preferred option, ECHL players say they have even been supplied with used equipment, which is simply unacceptable at such a level of professional hockey. 

In regard to player conditions, travel schedules are a major concern. According to the players, the ECHL considers bus trips home as days off, where travel time can be nine hours, or even more. Thankfully, it appears that the league has shown willingness to now give players one day off each week, however, they have shown no interest in negotiating a proper holiday break. 

Teams have not played since December 21, which especially puts them into the spotlight for a possible strike, however they are scheduled to jump right back into action on December 26, an especially short turnaround considering the rigorous travel schedules, if players were to have any chance to spend time with family and friends for the holidays. 

Overall, such developments are extremely unfortunate for the league. Over the past decade, the ECHL has expanded all over the country, far outside just the East Coast, even going north of the border into Quebec. New franchises in Rio Rancho, New Mexico, and Augusta, Georgia have been announced coming in 2026, however, given the recent news, it may be a turbulent start. 

Besides offering another level of professional hockey closer to home for those coming out of the NCAA, CHL, and USports, allowing lower level players to follow their dreams and play for a living, the ECHL brings the sport to dozens of communities across North America. With most teams operating on razor-thin profit margins, heavily relying on ticket sales, the league offers a tightly-knit community-first culture. It offers market testing for cities to make their case, and although the league’s Utah Grizzlies are set to move to New Jersey, they played a vital role in setting the foundation for hockey in Utah, building up to the state taking in the Utah Mammoth. 

Additionally, while any NHL-signed prospect who finds themselves assigned to the ECHL faces a serious uphill battle to reach the highest level, that is not to say it does not happen. To start the 2025-26 NHL season, 60 ECHL alums were on opening-night rosters. The number continues to grow. Today, many NHL organizations lean on the ECHL to send overlooked young AHL prospects down another level to get vital ice time in a bid to extend their careers. 

Late bloomers such as Carter Verhaeghe, Yanni Gourde, and Jordan Binnington, all longtime NHLers who have won Stanley Cups, spent time in the ECHL on their path to the top. For any player in the ECHL, such hope persists, that they could be next in line. 

Now at a crossroads, as they’ve grown into 32 teams to be, the hope is that the ECHL will hear the concerns of its players, who help drive so much development of the game in North America in smaller communities, and work out their differences for a better tomorrow. For now, eyes will be on the ECHL for a possible strike, which could occur as soon as December 26.