The Maine Mariners’ hockey team and teams across the ECHL minor league have postponed Friday and Saturday night games due to an ongoing collective bargaining dispute.
Members of the Professional Hockey Players Association (PHPA) announced a strike on Friday, as the players seek to ink a new deal with the minor league organization that would boost pay and help protect player safety.
According to the Mariners’ Facebook account, Friday’s game against the Worcester Railers and Saturday’s game against the Trois-Rivieres Lions have been postponed. Further information on when the games will be rescheduled was not available, and it is not clear whether the Friday, Jan. 2 or Saturday, Jan. 3 games will be impacted.
A spokesperson for the Maine Mariners organization did not immediately respond to an email from the Bangor Daily News on Friday afternoon to clarify how tickets will be transferred or honored for the rescheduled games.
Players will remain on strike until a reasonable contract has been reached between PHPA players and the ECHL, which is the minor league organization associated with the National Hockey League. The ECHL and the AHL are recognized by the collective bargaining agreement between the NHL and the National Hockey League Players’ Association.
The Maine Mariners are an AA team, one step below the American Hockey League teams including the Providence Bruins, and two steps below the NHL’s Boston Bruins.
The Boston Bruins organization signed a deal in September that will allow the Mariners to remain an ECHL affiliate team through the 2027-28 season.