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.
All season ticket members and package holders have the option to transfer their tickets to the re-scheduled dates, or redeem them as flex tickets for other games, according to Maine Mariners spokesperson Michael Keeley.
People who have purchased individual game tickets can request a refund through Ticketmaster. The Mariners organization is working to get Ticketmaster to remove the option to purchase Saturday game tickets.
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.