Report: ECHL players won't be paid after cancellation of season

The East Coast Hockey League announced this weekend that it is cancelling the remainder of the season due to concerns over COVID-19. We're now hearing word that, after Monday, players will no longer receive a salary during the shutdown.

Chris Johnston of Sportsnet wrote on Twitter: "Word is that ECHL players will only be paid through tomorrow (Monday) following the cancellation of their season. You have to feel for those guys: The average salary is a bit more than $600 per week in that league."

The ECHL regular season and playoffs last as long as the NHL. Despite a clause in the NHL bargaining agreement stating that owners have the right to re-negotiate salaries with players when the league is shut down due to unforeseen circumstances, players have been assured they'll continue to be paid their regular salaries, at least for now. Of course, most NHLers, even those making the league minimum, would be in much better shape to weather a disruption in their salary than players in the ECHL.

There was nothing in the ECHL's release regarding the cancellation of the season that mentioned players' salaries. It will be interesting to see if the league might change its mind after backlash from the general public. The ECHL is NHL affiliated. It and the AHL are the only leagues outside the NHL where players are members of the NHL Players Association.

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