TEDDY BEAR TOSS PHOTO VIA ORLANDO SOLAR BEARS FACEBOOK PAGE
The Professional Hockey Players’ Association announced on Saturday that it had reached a tentative deal with the East Coast Hockey League. The tentative agreement remains subject to ratification by the PHPA’s ECHL membership andapproval by the ECHL Board of Governors, but according to an update by the PHPA, players will report to their teams in “good faith” and prepare to return to play, pending ratification and approval.
The East Coast Hockey League player strike that began on December 26 resulted in the postponement of a December 26 Orlando Solar Bears’ road game against the Jacksonville Icemen and the December 28 homegame, because of a strike called by the Professional Hockey Players’ Association (PHPA), the union representing ECHL players. The game was scheduled for 7 p.m. at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville.
The postponement followed the strike notice previously issued by the PHPA, which said players would withhold their labor starting December 26 amid an ongoing dispute over a new CBA. Orlando Shine reported earlier this week that the union said it had served the league a strike notice after alleging unfair labor practices and stalled negotiations.
For now, any rescheduled dates and ticketing policies for postponed games are expected to be announced once the league and union reach a resolution and clubs are able to confirm updated schedules. They hope to return to play on December 30.
