SHREWSBURY, NJ (Dec. 30) – The ECHL and the Professional Hockey Players’ Association (PHPA) announced today that both parties have ratified an agreement on a new Collective Bargaining Agreement.
With the agreement, the 2025-26 ECHL regular season resumes on Tuesday night.
“This new agreement ratified by both the ECHL and the Professional Hockey Players’ Association significantly increases player compensation, improves health and safety and delivers on new initiatives that are responsive to our players' needs, while supporting our league’s continued growth and ability to put an entertaining and accessible product on the ice for our fans and the communities we serve,” said ECHL Commissioner, Ryan Crelin. “I'm so appreciative of the dedication and effort of our CBA committee who worked tirelessly to reach this agreement on behalf of the entire ECHL community.”
About the ECHL
Formed in 1988-89 with five teams in four states, the ECHL has grown into a coast-to-coast league with 30 teams in 23 states and one Canadian province for its 38th season in 2025-26. There have been 776 players who have gone on to play in the National Hockey League after starting their careers in the ECHL, including eight who have made their NHL debuts in the 2025-26 season. The ECHL has affiliations with 30 of the 32 NHL teams in 2025-26, marking the 28th consecutive season that the league has affiliations with at least 20 teams in the NHL. Further information on the ECHL is available on its website at ECHL.com.
About the PHPA
Since 1967, the Professional Hockey Players’ Association (PHPA) has served to advance and advocate on behalf of its members. The PHPA represents more than 1,800 players across 62 teams in the AHL and ECHL, while also serving more than 10,000 former PHPA Members through its Alumni Network. For more information, please visit PHPA.com.
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