ECHL suspends 2019-2020 season; UPD: Season cancelled

[LadyStanley]

Just to make it official

Click to read more...

 

[210]

Yeah, because without a thread on Hockey's Future it wasn't official...

 

[LadyStanley]

<insert sad sound effect>

 

[GindyDraws]

And the season is officially off. So, no playoffs or anything.

 

[LadyStanley]

ECHL cancels remainder of 2019-20 Season

Press release.

 

[mk80]

I guess it makes the most sense for them because they're independent financially and really operationally from the NHL/AHL and have less control of the arenas they play in. However, I'm a little surprised they announced a total cancellation this soon.

 

[210]

I guess it makes the most sense for them because they're independent financially and really operationally from the NHL/AHL and have less control of the arenas they play in. However, I'm a little surprised they announced a total cancellation this soon.

This is a total guess as to the reason why, but I would bet many teams could have issues making payrolls not playing games.

 

[Cyclones Rock]

I guess it makes the most sense for them because they're independent financially and really operationally from the NHL/AHL and have less control of the arenas they play in. However, I'm a little surprised they announced a total cancellation this soon.

The playoffs are a financial loser for most teams, so it's probably a sound financial decision.

Also, as best I understand, ECHL contracts are not guaranteed for the season, so it probably lets teams off the hook for the last 3 weeks of player salaries.

I don't think that this situation will be resolved in a few weeks, so I think it's a sensible decision.

 

[mk80]

This is a total guess as to the reason why, but I would bet many teams could have issues making payrolls not playing games.

The playoffs are a financial loser for most teams, so it's probably a sound financial decision.

Also, as best I understand, ECHL contracts are not guaranteed for the season, so it probably lets teams off the hook for the last 3 weeks of player salaries.

I don't think that this situation will be resolved in a few weeks, so I think it's a sensible decision.

I think those are both logical reasons, I just didn't expect the official announcement on a full cancellation in the 2 days after the suspension. But I do agree it is most likely the right move for a handful of reasons for them.

 

[royals119]

I think they probably spent those two days trying to figure out the logistics of restarting after two weeks or longer. Between arena availability, busses that are rented or shared with baseball teams, apartment leases that expire at the end of April, and the fact that they are all losing some of their best games at the gate between now and the end of the season (April 4th?) Trying to come back and play a modified playoff without the ability to do much marketing and without sponsor support for the most part, just wasn't practical. Plus they would have to wait on the NHL and AHL to restart in order to get the assigned players back, and with no way to be sure when or if they will resume play, they are better off cutting their losses at this point.

 

[LadyStanley]

ECHLer shares reality of how cancelled season will impact players - Sportsnet.ca

Sniff

 

[Cyclones Rock]

“I hope some of the reps of the PHPA can put a little bit of pressure on the league and get a little movement going on social media or something,” Wallin said. “A certain small percentage of our cheques goes towards the PHPA for dues, but that’s like the least of (my concern). I think we should be getting paid until at least the end of the regular season, which would be April 7. I think that the league should be able to pay us until at least then.”

Word is that ECHL players will only be paid through tomorrow 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.​

Chris Johnston​

ECHLer shares reality of how cancelled season will impact players - Sportsnet.ca

Pretty weak that these guys paychecks stop so soon. I suppose that the AHL and NHL contracted players will still be paid for a while.

The PHPA must be a pretty lame union to settle for this. I'd think that the teams would at least pay them an extra week or two. If you subtract AHL and NHL contracts, the average team would be out somewhere between 20 and 30 grand for two extra weeks. The Cyclones just got a financial boon. They only have 2 regular season home games left and saved travel expenses for an extended trip to South Carolina and won't take a bath on the first two rounds (at least) of the playoffs. Probably added at least a hundred grand to their bottom line for the season.

Very disappointed in the league and the PHPA.

 

[royals119]

Word is that ECHL players will only be paid through tomorrow 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.​

ECHLer shares reality of how cancelled season will impact players - Sportsnet.ca

Pretty weak that these guys paychecks stop so soon. I suppose that the AHL and NHL contracted players will still be paid for a while.

The PHPA must be a pretty lame union to settle for this. I'd think that the teams would at least pay them an extra week or two. If you subtract AHL and NHL contracts, the average team would be out somewhere between 20 and 30 grand for two extra weeks. The Cyclones just got a financial boon. They only have 2 regular season home games left and saved travel expenses for an extended trip to South Carolina and won't take a bath on the first two rounds (at least) of the playoffs. Probably added at least a hundred grand to their bottom line for the season.

Very disappointed in the league and the PHPA.

I'm disappointed for the players too. However, looking at both sides of it, every team is in a different situation. The Royals had 12 games left to play, five of them home games, but they would probably have been five of the top ten in attendance for the season. For a lot of teams the last month of home games is make or break, since they are losing money on the early season games when they are up against football, Thanksgiving, Christmas, etc. 20 players x 600 per week x 3 weeks is $36,000, and that's assuming your team is making the average. Every guy on an ECHL deal knows he can be released at any time, and gets three days severance plus travel reimbursement. I don't know that the union would have any leg to stand on to challenge it. I also have no idea how this would affect assigned players on AHL/NHL deals. If they pay the players they might be obligated to also pay the upper level teams for the assigned players as well. Maybe they could get the other leagues to agree to call everyone up before play was cancelled to avoid that?

All that said, it would be the stand up thing to do to pay the players until the end of the year. However there is a chance that some of the teams that were already losing money annually, who maybe lost 8 or more home games, and only had short one night road trips left are really taking a big hit on this. They may not be able to cancel the apartment leases and costs for office space and ice rental, etc may still have to be paid. This could easily be hundreds of thousands of dollars in losses, depending on the individual schedules and situation. I wouldn't be surprised to see a team or two fold over this. Wouldn't be fair for some teams to pay guys and others not, so they had to make a league wide decision. The only alternative I could see would be to pool some money together between the teams who are better off and give some smaller payment to all the players, but the owners would have to trust each other to be honest in contributing to that fund what they could afford, and that might not be fairly done either.

Fans in our team facebook group were divided. Some expect full refunds for games that weren't played ASAP. Others were more inclined to let the team keep the money, either as a credit toward next season or altogether, if it would be the difference between the team staying or folding (or even running on a shoestring budget next year to make up the loss).

Maybe the league and the PHPA can get together some kind of gofundme page for the players, and have some owners and the union match what fans give to create a bonus pool for the players?

 

[Big Z Man 1990]

The ECHL should declare the Stingrays Kelly Cup champions

 

[Your Boy Troy]

It sucks for the employees, season-ticket holders, players, and owners. That being said, the ECHL is not anywhere near as entertaining as it once was.
.

 

[210]

The ECHL should declare the Stingrays Kelly Cup champions

I wish there was a way to downvote a post because I would do it for this one.

You want to give them the Brabham Cup, that fine...but no playoffs, no Kelly Cup.

 

[Neill99]

Shame on you ECHL you could have put the season on hold until May at least.

 

[Centrum Hockey]

Railers: Despite early end to season, 'no doubt' Worcester will return next year
ECHL faces challenges after cancellation, but commissioner has faith league will bounce back - TheHockeyNews
It seems like there is some speculation that there will be some teams that wont be back next season because of how this one ended.

 

[JMCx4]

... It seems like there is some speculation that there will be some teams that wont be back next season because of how this one ended.

Who's gonna offer up the Wheeling Nailers as the first candidate? C'mon, folks, it's an annual tradition.

 

[royals119]

Who's gonna offer up the Wheeling Nailers as the first candidate? C'mon, folks, it's an annual tradition.

Not me. I think they are on much more solid ground lately, in spite of attendance number compared to bigger cities. It will probably be a team owned by someone whose main business is severely impacted by the current crisis. Entertainment, restaurants, "non-essential" retail, gyms, etc. If there is an owner who is heavily invested in those sectors and they are shut down for a few months, that could be enough of a cash flow problem to prevent a team from starting up in the fall.

 

[CrazyEddie20]

Shame on you ECHL you could have put the season on hold until May at least.

Shame on you for not understanding the financial reality facing the league and its teams.

 

[CrazyEddie20]

Railers: Despite early end to season, 'no doubt' Worcester will return next year
ECHL faces challenges after cancellation, but commissioner has faith league will bounce back - TheHockeyNews
It seems like there is some speculation that there will be some teams that wont be back next season because of how this one ended.

It's very possible that teams will fold because of this. Teams lost huge chunks of revenue generally proportional to the number of remaining home games they had.

 

[210]

It's very possible that teams will fold because of this. Teams lost huge chunks of revenue generally proportional to the number of remaining home games they had.

It is also likely that those teams will have to credit sponsors to some extent, reducing revenue for next season.

 

[CrazyEddie20]

It is also likely that those teams will have to credit sponsors to some extent, reducing revenue for next season.

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but a lot of team sponsors are local small businesses that, because of what's happening in the economy at the moment, are in an even worse position that hockey teams. Potential credit back to a sponsor might soon just be a line item on a schedule attached to a bankruptcy petition.

 

[210]

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but a lot of team sponsors are local small businesses that, because of what's happening in the economy at the moment, are in an even worse position that hockey teams. Potential credit back to a sponsor might soon just be a line item on a schedule attached to a bankruptcy petition.

Except then that would be cash owed to the small business and not a credit against next season's sponsorship cost. So that would be even worse for the ECHL team...