John Wilkins of the South Carolina Stingrays
“Having spent the last four years with the South Carolina Stingrays, I can honestly say that the organization has treated its players with professionalism, class and respect.
In my opinion, the league recently presented a solid offer that was rejected by the PHPA – without first asking the players or holding a vote to determine if we felt the offer was fair.
-We are now encouraged to strike, not report to play, and publicly criticize our teams, even if we want to play in person. That puts many of us in an extremely difficult and unfair position.
The PHPA has also issued multiple public statements under our name without our review, consent or approval. It is unacceptable that words and views are attributed to us that we have not personally agreed with.
We signed an agreement to play this season under the existing contract until a new agreement could be reached. We did not sign an agreement to strike, suspend the season or forfeit our wages.
Many of us just want the opportunity to play, to fulfill our contracts, support our organizations and further our careers, while negotiations are handled in a fair and transparent manner.”
The Greenville Swamp Rabbits issued what they call an official team player statement
“To our loyal fans and our great community, we understand that there is a lot of information being communicated about the player action taking place in the ECHL, some of it accurate and some of it not. We wanted to take this opportunity to clear up some of the confusion and talk about our path forward. We believe we play for an ownership group that supports our initiatives on and off the ice, and that believes in raising the minimum standard of how players should be supported and treated when it comes to housing, travel, player safety and payment over the entire world. We know that we have one of, if not the, best ownership groups in the ECHL, who are always supportive and treat every player on the roster with the utmost respect, and always go above and beyond when it comes to the issues. We are also fortunate to play in a city where the fan support is excellent. If these things happen, we know that our situation can change in a heartbeat. we may end up in a situation that is completely at odds with our current organization, and this is the crux of the action. We believe that there should be minimum standards for all teams so that no matter where we play, we know that player safety, housing, travel and pay for the players will be a priority and sufficient for our needs Swamp Rabbits, apart from the Spire Hockey Group, along with TR Lions and Rapid City Rush, all stand in solidarity with the rest of the players in the ECHL for your continued support of us. We couldn’t be who we are without your support!
Toledo Walleye
“TOLEDO STRING FANS,
NOW YOU HAVE HEARD OF THE ECHL PLAYERS STRIKE. WE THINK IT IS IMPORTANT THAT YOU HEAR DIRECTLY FROM US, THE PLAYERS.
FIRST WE WANT TO BE VERY CLEAR, THIS IS NOT HOW WE WANTED IT TO HAPPEN. 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 WE TAKE EXTREMELY SERIOUSLY. THIS ALSO HAS ABSOLUTELY NOTHING TO DO WITH THE ORGANIZATION OF TOLEDO WALLEYE. THERE IS NO BETTER PLACE TO PLAY. WE GET A PREMIUM EXPERIENCE BY PLAYING HERE IN THE CITY OF GLASS AND WE LOVE TO REPRESENT THIS INCREDIBLE CITY.
WE WANT TO EXPLAIN WHY THIS IS HAPPENING AND WE BELIEVE IT IS IMPORTANT THAT YOU UNDERSTAND HOW WE GET HERE. THE PHPA HAS BEEN WORKING WITH THE ECHL ON A FAIR CONTRACT THAT GUARANTEES FAIRNESS AND SAFETY FOR OUR PLAYERS, BUT WE HAVE NOT YET REACHED AN AGREEMENT. THIS IS NOT JUST ABOUT MONEY, BUT WE DO BELIEVE THAT PLAYERS DESERVE TO EARN A SUSTAINABLE LIVING WAGE. IT’S ALSO ABOUT TRYING TO ENSURE THAT THE LEAGUE IS UNIFORM IN THEIR OPERATIONS. WE WANT TO MAKE SAFETY A PRIORITY. EVERYTHING FROM EQUIPMENT TO TRAVEL STANDARDS IS FIRST IN WHAT WE ASK. THIS IS FOR ALL PLAYERS IN THE ECHL, REGARDLESS OF WHICH TEAM THEY PLAY FOR.
OUR GOAL IS TO LEAVE THE ECHL BETTER THAN WE FOUND IT. WE REALLY BELIEVE TO MAKE THIS LEAGUE THE PRIOR DESTINATION FOR PROFESSIONAL HOCKEY AT THIS LEVEL. AS IT IS NOW, MANY PLAYERS HAVE TO TRAVEL ABROAD TO SUPPORT THEMSELVES AND THEIR FAMILIES. WE BELIEVE THESE IMPROVEMENTS WILL HELP RETAIN TALENT AND IMPROVE THE LEAGUE’S SUCCESS IN THE LONG TERM.
THE TOLEDO WALLEYE ORGANIZATION IS THE GOLD STANDARD. WE COULD NOT 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.
THANK YOU,
THE TOLEDO STRING SEARCH PLAYERS.”
Kalamazoo wings
“To Kalamazoo Wings fans,
We would like to provide our fans with some clarity and understanding regarding the upcoming strike.
Fans should know that this labor action is not against the Kalamazoo Wings organization. We are grateful for the support we receive from the Kalamazoo community and the fans who make playing here special. Front office, management and employees embody a professional organization in everything they do. We are proud to be part of the Wings family.
This labor action stems from league-wide rules and behavior that affect players on different teams, rather than from any single market or community. As the rules currently stand, players can be released or moved without warning and may find themselves in situations that lack the same level of structure, support and professionalism prioritized by Kalamazoo. Our intention is to encourage stronger, more consistent standards across the league so that all players are treated equally, regardless of where they are assigned.
We are grateful for the support, commitment and loyalty of K-Wing fans and the Kalamazoo community. Your understanding during this time means a lot to us as players. We hope to be back on the ice soon and represent Kalamazoo with pride.
Respectively,
Kalamazoo Wings players”
The ECHL also released a statement on Christmas Eve
We’re reaching out to provide an update on the collective bargaining with the Professional Hockey Players’ Association (PHPA) as we approach the union’s self-imposed deadline of Friday, December 26 to reach a new deal before threatening to go on strike – something that would result in players not getting paid and losing housing and medical benefits – which the ECHL and its teams want to avoid.
“The union continues to misrepresent our proposals and our offers, and continues to push extreme demands that prevent us from reaching a deal. We will not participate in the union’s publicity stunts that distract us from our ultimate goal of reaching an agreement that:
Dramatically increase player compensation, improve player health and safety, and implement new initiatives that address the needs of our players both on and off the ice.
At the same time, we must do this in a way that both rewards our players and ensures the long-term success of our teams and the sustainability of our league so that we can continue to grow, provide an entertaining and financially accessible product for our fans, and provide as many opportunities as possible to play and develop young players for the next level.
We remain willing to negotiate and reach a deal that avoids a strike and sets us up for long-term growth. Whatever happens, it will not be possible for us to agree to a new deal which could potentially have serious consequences for the teams and the future of our league.
We hope that the PHPA is willing to negotiate and that we can reach an agreement that will allow us to continue competing for fans.”
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