Corridor Cross Checks: PHPA releases letter giving its side of ongoing negotiations with ECHL

CEDAR RAPIDS - The Professional Hockey Players’ Association issued an open letter last week that gave its side of ongoing negotiations with the ECHL on a new Collective Bargaining Agreement.

The PHPA represents players in the ECHL and American Hockey League, the two highest levels of minor league pro hockey. The CBA between the PHPA and ECHL expired after last season, and the sides agreed to work under conditions of that CBA while a new one is worked out.

“Unfortunately, we remain far apart from the League on several fundamental issues that speak to fairness, respect, and the sustainability of professional hockey at this level,” the letter noted.

The PHPA is requesting players be able to rest and recuperate at proper intervals. The ECHL is notorious for its three-in-three weekends, in which teams play games on three consecutive days/nights, sometimes in different cities.

Weekend games, of course, draw larger crowds than games played during the week.

The union also is requesting an increase in player salaries. Right now, players under ECHL contract who are rookies earn $530 a week and “veteran” players make $575 per week.

Clubs are responsible for player housing. The weekly salary cap for teams is $14,600 per week, while the weekly salary floor is $11,110.

The PHPA also is seeking monetary renumeration for players participating in “corporate and auction-related events.” The letter pointed out how ECHL clubs make money off jersey auctions, for instance, while players do not, as they do in other leagues.

“We are not asking for extravagance,” the letter noted. “We are asking for fairness: proper rest that respects the physicality of the game and us as professionals, good-faith negotiations, and a living wage. Every player wants to continue delivering the high-level of competition and excitement that ECHL fans deserve. The ECHL has grown tremendously because of your passion and because of our support and dedication as players.”

The PHPA said it will continue “good faith” negotiations with the ECHL. The league has not responded publicly to the union’s letter.

Now back to the ice. The Iowa Heartlanders lost both games of a home-and-home set with the Bloomington Bison this past weekend by identical 3-1 scores.

Friday night’s game at Bloomington saw the Bison score twice in the first period. After Matthew Sop’s goal for Iowa in the second period, an empty net goal with 10 seconds left cemented the Bison’s win.

Saturday night at Xtream Arena, Bloomington took a 3-0 lead in the second period. Only Max Patterson could solve Bison goaltender Callum Tung, who made 36 saves.

The Heartlanders are in sixth place out of seven teams in the ECHL’s Central Division with 11 standings points on a 5-7-1-0 record. They play three home games this week: Wednesday night at 7 against Kalamazoo, Friday night at 7 against Cincinnati and Sunday afternoon at 3 against Cincinnati.

Cedar Rapids RoughRiders

For the fifth weekend in a row, the RoughRiders won their game Friday night and lost their game Saturday night.

This time they did pick up three of four standings points against Green Bay. Friday night’s 5-4 victory saw Grant Young score two goals and add an assist.

An even more wild game Saturday night saw Green Bay win in a shootout, 7-6. The Gamblers had the only successful shootout attempt in three rounds.

Jason Musa had a hat trick for Cedar Rapids. Hawke Huff was named Monday the United States Hockey League’s Defenseman of the Week after scoring a goal and adding three assists in the two games.

Cedar Rapids has a 10-5-0-2 record for 22 standings points, tied for fourth place with Madison in a tightly packed USHL Eastern Conference.

The RoughRiders host the first-place Muskegon Lumberjacks twice this weekend, with 7:05 opening faceoffs Friday and Saturday nights.

Comments: jeff.johnson@thegazette.com