The statement, signed by the Walleye players and posted on Instagram by team captain Brandon Hawkins, describes the ongoing dispute between the ECHL and PHPA union.

TOLEDO, Ohio — With a strike looming on the horizon, the Toledo Walleye players have issued a joint statement to fans regarding the ongoing contract dispute between the league and the players’ union.

The statement, posted to Instagram by Walleye captain Brandon Hawkins, is the first public statement from the players since the start of negotiations between the ECHL and the league’s player union, the Professional Hockey Players’ Association. It comes on the heels of a strike authorization mandate by the PHPA, effective Friday, if a deal is not reached.

RELATED: ECHL players’ union issues strike notice

The PHPA has issued several statements, indicating that negotiations have turned sour and the league remains far from meeting their demands. In the statement from the Walleye players, the players emphasize that the issue is not connected to the organization itself or the fans.

“First, we want to be extremely clear, this is not how we wanted this to go,” the statement reads, in part. “Every time we take the ice at the Huntington Center, we get to play in front of the best fans in the ECHL. 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.”

The current contract between the league and the union expired in June, with players continuing to play without a union contract in place to start the season. Negotiations began “later than in the past” due to “circumstances out of either party’s control, including changes at the PHPA,” the ECHL said in a statement on its website.

The PHPA has notified the ECHL that a stop-work strike would begin Friday. According to the league, negotiations have been progressing, “but not as quickly as we would like.” The league also said that there are a “number of tentative agreements” that have been reached.

One of the major concerns from players is safety and the current protocol in the ECHL. The PHPA claims that some teams in the league currently issue used safety equipment to players and that adequate rest between games isn’t possible due to schedules, among other concerns.

“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,” the statement from the Walleye players reads. “Our goal is to leave the ECHL better than we found it.”

The Walleye are scheduled to play Wheeling this Friday at the Huntington Center. A spokesperson for the Walleye told WTOL 11 on Saturday that no players, staff or the organization itself would comment on the matter at the time. The ECHL acknowledged that the work stoppage “would result in at least some games being postponed for the 2025-2026 ECHL season.”

If the strike goes into effect, it will be the first in franchise history for the Walleye.

The players conclude the statement by saying, “The Toledo Walleye organization is the gold standard. We can’t do what we do without our incredible staff, fans, and management. Our goal is to get back on the ice as soon as possible. We appreciate the support from you, the fans, more than you can possibly understand.”

The statement reads, in full:

“Toledo Walleye Player Statement

By now, you’ve heard about the ECHL player strike. We felt like it was important that you hear directly from us, the players.

First, we 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. 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.

We want to explain why this is happening and we believe it’s important that you understand how we got here. The PHPA has been working with the ECHL on a fair contract that would guarantee fairness and safety for our players, but we’ve yet to reach a deal. 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. We truly believe in making this league the premier destination for professional hockey at this level. As it stands, many players have to travel Overseas to support themselves and their families. We believe these Improvements will help to retain talent and improve the long-term Success of the league.

The Toledo Walleye organization is the gold standard. We can’t do what we do without our incredible staff, fans, and management. Our goal is to get back on the ice as soon as possible. We appreciate the support from you, the fans, more than you can possibly understand.

The Toledo Walleye players”