ECHL Players Serves Strike Notice to League

Late last night, members of the ECHL officially served strike notice to the league.

This comes as the league and the Professional Hockey Players’ Association (PHPA) remain far apart on reaching a new collective bargaining agreement.

PHPA Serve Strike Notice

The notice was served late Monday night, with the intention to go on strike effective Dec. 26, 2025. The PHPA released a statement, which read:

“We have informed the ECHL that we are willing to continue discussions to resolve all outstanding matters. For several months, we have been engaged in bargaining with the league, and their unlawful and coercive conduct throughout this process has been incredibly disappointing. We are asking for basic standards around health, safety and working conditions that allow the players to remain healthy, compete at a high level and build sustainable professional careers. Our members have never been more united and remain ready to return to the bargaining table at any time. We sincerely hope the ECHL will engage in good-faith negotiations so a fair agreement can be reached and any disruption to the season can be avoided.”

As part of this, the ECHL has uploaded details of their latest proposal to their website.

Unfortunately, the ECHL appears likely to be the next league to see a strike. The NHL and NHLPA reached an agreement earlier this season that keeps players on the ice through 2030. The American Hockey League (AHL) also seems to be trending toward avoiding a potential strike. That leaves only the ECHL and the PHPA, who have yet to reach a deal. Now, they have just a few days to ratify an agreement, or there will be no ECHL hockey until a deal is reached. Such a disruption would hurt both the league and the teams’ revenue, not to mention the players who would be sitting out while negotiations continue.