The Maine Mariners have canceled their scheduled home games this weekend after a player strike over a stalled collective bargaining agreement brought ECHL play to a halt.
The Mariners were set to host the Worcester Railers on Friday and the Trois-Rivières Lions on Saturday at the Cross Insurance Arena. Both games were postponed as members of the Professional Hockey Players’ Association initiated a work stoppage tied to negotiations with the ECHL.
In a joint statement released ahead of Friday’s scheduled puck drop, the Mariners and the league said the strike required the immediate postponement of the games and warned that additional contests could also be impacted. The statement said the league and team would provide updates to fans and noted ongoing efforts to have a team on the ice for the next scheduled home game.
In a separate statement, the ECHL said union leadership prevented players from voting on what the league described as its “last, best and final offer,” which it said included proposed increases to player salaries and per-diem rates. The league also said it hoped the union would abandon what it called “unworkable scheduling demands” to allow players to return to play.
The Mariners’ next scheduled home stand is set for the weekend of Jan. 2.
