Detroit News staff and wires
With a strike looming on Friday, the Toledo Walleye players issued a joint statement to fans regarding the ongoing contract dispute between the ECHL and the players’ union.
The Professional Hockey Players’ Association are on the verge of staging a strike if the union and the league cannot come to an agreement on a new collective bargaining agreement.
The PHPA announced that its ECHL membership has served a strike notice that would be effective Friday, when play is scheduled to resume following the holiday break.
In an Instagram post by Walleye captain Brandon Hawkins (Macomb), the Toledo players said they “want to be extremely clear, this is not how we wanted this to go.”
“Every time we take the ice at the Huntington Center, we get to play in front of the best fans in the ECHL,” the statement said. “Playing hockey in Toledo is an honor that we take extremely seriously. This also has absolutely nothing to do with the Toledo Walleye organization.
“There is no better place to play. We get a first-class experience playing here in the Glass City and we love representing this incredible city.
“This isn’t just about money, but we do believe that players deserve to earn a sustainable living wage. It’s also about trying to make sure the league is uniformed in their operations. We want to make safety a priority. Everything from equipment to travel standards are at the forefront of what we are asking for.
“This is to benefit all players in the ECHL, no matter what team they’re playing for. Our goal is to leave the ECHL better than we found it.”
CBA talks began in January, with PHPA executive director Brian Ramsay accusing the league of unfair bargaining practices, including most recently contacting players directly with proposals, which have been reported to the National Labor Relations Board.
“This is a league that has taken almost a year to concede that we should be entitled to choose helmets that properly fit us and are safe,” Ramsay said. “This is the league that still supplies our members with used equipment.
“This is a league that shows no concern for players’ travels and in fact has said the nine-hour bus trip home should be considered your day off. We have had members this year spend 28 hours-plus on a bus to play back-to-back games on a Friday and Saturday night, only to be paid less than the referees who work those very same games.”
The ECHL posted details of its latest proposal on its website, saying it calls to raise the salary cap 16.4% this season, with retroactive pay upon ratification, and increases in total player salaries in future years to pay players nearly 27% more than the current cap.
The league said it has also offered larger per diems, mandatory day-off requirements and a 325-mile limit for travel between back-to-back games.
“Our approach will continue to balance the need to best support our players and maintain a sustainable business model that helps ensure the long-term success of our league so it remains affordable and accessible to fans,” the ECHL said, adding that the average ticket price is $21.
“Negotiations have been progressing but not as quickly as we would like. We have reached a number of tentative agreements and remain focused on reaching a comprehensive new agreement that supports our players and the long-term health of every team in our league.”
Taking issue with the ECHL’s offer numbers, Ramsay said inflation would have players making less than the equivalent amount in 2018, prior to the pandemic. The league said a work stoppage would result in some games being postponed and players not being paid and losing housing and medical benefits that it pays for.
Ramsay called threats of players losing their housing if there’s a strike an unfair labor practice in itself.
“Consistently in the last six or eight weeks, teams trying to intimidate and bully our members, threaten our members with their jobs, with their housing, with their work visas if they’re from out of country – different tactics like that,” Ramsay said.
Jimmy Mazza, who played several seasons in the ECHL and is now on the negotiating committee, argued that owners do not know what it’s like to travel 29 hours in a bus or to be given a used helmet.
“The top level, you know that those players aren’t being treated that way, so why are they treating us that way?” Mazza said. “To us, it’s a little bit of a slap in the face with the way these negotiations have gone for a year, when only five days ago, we get a little bit of movement on a helmet issue when it should have been done a year ago.”
The ECHL, formerly known as the East Coast Hockey League and now going just by the acronym, is a North American developmental league that is two levels below the NHL, with the American Hockey League in between. There are 30 teams, 29 of which are in the U.S. and one in Canada in Trois-Rivières, Quebec.
The AHL and PHPA have been working under the terms of their most recent CBA, which expired Aug. 31. An AHL spokesperson said the sides are very close to a new agreement.
The NHL and the NHL Players’ Association earlier this year ratified a deal that ensures labor peace through 2030.
Macomb’s Hawkins named top ECHL player
Macomb’s Brandon Hawkins of the Toledo Walleye was named ECHL Player of the Week after a seven-point (five goals, two assists) weekend, including his second four-goal game as a professional.
Hawkins leads the ECHL in assists (23), points (38), and power-play points (14) and is on the verge of his 400th game as a pro (395), and his 200th assist in a Walleye uniform (199).
Hawkins has 437 points (205G, 232A) in 367 career ECHL games with Toledo, Fort Wayne, and Wheeling while adding seven points (3g-4a) in 28 career American Hockey League games with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, Rochester, Cleveland, and Chicago.
The Walleye captain is also a Kelly Cup Champion (2021, Fort Wayne), a member of the All-ECHL First Team the last three consecutive seasons, a three-time ECHL All-Star selection, as well as being named captain of the 2023-24 ECHL Team.
Local schedules
Friday
World Junior Championship
▶ Sweden vs. Slovakia, 1
▶ Denmark vs. Finland, 3:30
▶ Germany vs. United States, 6
▶ Canada vs. Czechia, 8:30
Saturday
▶ Red Wings at Carolina, 7
▶ Grand Rapids at Milwaukee, 7
▶ Muskegon at NTDP U18, 7
World Junior Championship
▶ Slovakia vs. Germany, 2
▶ Latvia vs. Canada, 4:30
▶ United States vs. Switzerland, 6
▶ Denmark vs. Czechia, 8:30
Sunday
▶ Toronto at Red Wings, 7
▶ Great Lakes Invitational at Grand Rapids
▶ Michigan Tech vs. Miami, 3:37
▶ Michigan State vs. Ferris State, 7
▶ NTDP U17 at Muskegon, 3
▶ NTDP U18 at Bowling Green, 7
World Junior Championship
▶ Sweden vs. Switzerland, 2
▶ Finland vs. Latvia, 4:30
Monday, Dec. 29
▶ Great Lakes Invitational at Grand Rapids
▶ MSU vs. Michigan Tech or Miami, TBA
World Junior Championship
▶ Germany vs. Sweden, 1
▶ Finland vs. Czechia, 3:30
▶ Slovakia vs. United States, 6
▶ Canada vs. Denmark, 8:30
Tuesday, Dec. 30
▶ Utica University at NTDP U18, 7
World Junior Championship
▶ Switzerland vs. Germany, 2
▶ Latvia vs. Denmark, 4:30
Wednesday, Dec. 31
▶ Winnipeg at Red Wings, 6:30
▶ Milwaukee at Grand Rapids, 6
World Junior Championship
▶ Switzerland vs. Slovakia, 1
▶ Czechia vs. Latvia, 3:30
▶ United States vs. Sweden, 6
▶ Canada vs. Finland, 8:30
January
Thursday, Jan. 1
▶ Red Wings at Pittsburgh, 7
Friday, Jan. 2
▶ Chicago at Grand Rapids, 7
▶ Western Michigan at Notre Dame, 7
▶ Michigan Tech vs. Air Force in Tempe, 5
▶ Sioux City at NTDP U17, 7
Saturday, Jan. 3
▶ Pittsburgh at Red Wings, noon
▶ Grand Rapids at Chicago, 8
▶ NTDP U18 at Michigan, 7
▶ Notre Dame at Western Michigan, 6
▶ Michigan Tech vs. Alaska Anchorage or Arizona State in Tempe, TBA
▶ Northern Michigan at Lake Superior State, 6:07
▶ Sioux City at NTDP 17, 7
Sunday, Jan. 4
▶ NTDP 18 at Michigan State
▶ Northern Michigan at Lake Superior State, 6:07
Monday, Jan. 5
▶ Red Wings at Ottawa, 7:30
Wednesday, Jan. 7
▶ Texas at Grand Rapids, 7
Thursday, Jan. 8
▶ Vancouver at Red Wings, 7
Friday, Jan. 9
▶ Texas at Grand Rapids, 7
▶ Notre Dame at Michigan, 7
▶ Michigan State at Ohio State, 6:30
▶ Western Michigan at Denver, 9
▶ Michigan Tech at Bemidji State, 8:07
▶ Augustana at Northern Michigan, 7:07
▶ Adrian College at NTDP U18, 7
▶ NTDP U17 at Dubuque, 8:05
Saturday, Jan. 10
▶ Red Wings at Montreal, 7
▶ Notre Dame at Michigan, 7
▶ Michigan State at Ohio State, 5
▶ Western Michigan at Denver, 8
▶ Michigan Tech at Bemidji State, 7:07
▶ Augustana at Northern Michigan, 6:07
▶ Trine University at NTDP U18, 7
▶ NTDP U17 at Dubuque, 8:05
Monday, Jan. 12
▶ Carolina at Red Wings, 7
Tuesday, Jan. 13
▶ Red Wings at Boston, 7:30
▶ Grand Rapids at Milwaukee, 8
Wednesday, Jan. 14
▶ NTDP 17 at Youngstown, 7:05
Thursday, Jan. 15
▶ Michigan State at Wisconsin, 9
Friday, Jan. 16
▶ San Jose at Red Wings, 7
▶ Rockford at Grand Rapids, 7
▶ Michigan at Minnesota, 8
▶ Michigan State at Wisconsin, 8
▶ Minnesota State at Michigan Tech, 7:07
Saturday, Jan. 17
▶ Ottawa at Red Wings, 5
▶ Milwaukee at Grand Rapids, 7
▶ Michigan at Minnesota, 7
▶ Minnesota State at Michigan Tech, 6:07
▶ Green Bay at NTDP U17, 7
Sunday, Jan. 18
▶ Green Bay at NTDP U18, 4
Wednesday, Jan. 21
▶ Red Wings at Toronto, 7
▶ Milwaukee at Grand Rapids, 7
Thursday, Jan. 22
▶ Red Wings at Minnesota, 9:30
Friday, Jan. 23
▶ Grand Rapids at Manitoba, 8
▶ Minnesota at Michigan State, 7
▶ Western Michigan at Minnesota Duluth, 8
▶ Michigan Tech at Northern Michigan, 7:07
▶ NTDP U17 at Youngstown, 7:05
▶ NTDP U18 at Cedar Rapids, 8:05
Saturday, Jan. 24
▶ Red Wings at Winnipeg, 7
▶ Minnesota at Michigan State, 6
▶ Western Michigan at Minnesota Duluth, 7
▶ Northern Michigan at Michigan Tech, 6:07
▶ NTDP U17 at Youngstown, 6:05
▶ NTDP U18 at Cedar Rapids, 8:05
Sunday, Jan. 25
▶ Grand Rapids at Manitoba, 3
Tuesday, Jan. 27
▶ L.A. Kings at Red Wings, 7
Wednesday, Jan. 28
▶ Cleveland at Grand Rapids, 7
▶ Youngstown at NTDP U18, 10:30 a.m.
Thursday, Jan. 29
▶ Washington at Red Wings, 7:30
Friday, Jan. 30
▶ Michigan at Ohio State, 6:30
▶ Michigan State at Penn State, 6
▶ Nebraska at Omaha at Western Michigan, 7
▶ Michigan Tech at St. Thomas, 8:07
▶ Bemidgi State at Northern Michigan, 6:07
▶ Muskegon at NTDP U18, 7
Saturday, Jan. 31
▶ Colorado at Red Wings, 1
▶ Michigan at Ohio State, 5
▶ Michigan State at Penn State, 1
▶ Nebraska at Omaha at Western Michigan, 6
▶ Michigan Tech at St. Thomas, 7:07
▶ Bemidgi State at Northern Michigan, 6:07
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