photo by: Joe Lovell

Wheeling Nailers forward Ryan Mahshie (14) receives congratulations from teammates on the bench as defenseman Eric Parker (20) looks on during a Dec. 7 game against the Greensboro Gargoyles at WesBanco Arena in Wheeling.

WHEELING — A looming ECHL work stoppage could put a damper on the holidays for the 30 teams involved in the developmental league, including the Wheeling Nailers.

Earlier this week, the Professional Hockey Players’ Association announced that its ECHL membership has served a strike notice effective Friday, following a strike authorization mandate delivered Dec. 18.

The Nailers have the best record in the league with 20 wins, six losses and one OT loss which is good for 41 points through 27 games. Their next scheduled contest is Saturday at home against the Indy Fuel. Florida has 40 points.

Telephone calls to the Nailers offices went unanswered, as did a call to WesBanco Arena, home of the Nailers.

DJ Abisalih, team broadcaster and director of media/community relations, said when reached by telephone that the entire organization has been told not to comment on anything related to the possible work stoppage.

The PHPA said through a release that, because of what it considers the league’s ongoing unfair labor practices, the PHPA’s ECHL membership has been forced to take this step to protect the integrity of the bargaining process.

On Monday, PHPA Executive Director Brian Ramsay issued the following statement:

“We have informed the ECHL that we are willing to continue discussions to resolve all outstanding matters. For several months, we have been engaged in bargaining with the league, and their unlawful and coercive conduct throughout this process has been incredibly disappointing,” he said. “We are asking for basic standards around health, safety and working conditions that allow the players to remain healthy, compete at a high level and build sustainable professional careers.

“Our members have never been more united and remain ready to return to the bargaining table at any time. We sincerely hope the ECHL will engage in good-faith negotiations so a fair agreement can be reached and any disruption to the season can be avoided.”

On Tuesday, Ramsay said:

“Earlier today, after sending a written request to the ECHL to resume talks last evening — which went unanswered — the PHPA contacted the ECHL with an offer to avoid missing any games and use a mediation or arbitration process to find a settlement. The ECHL responded within minutes, rejecting any interest in this solution and demanding ‘significant movement’ and concessions from the players. This approach continues to align with the increased threats our membership has faced over the past 18 hours.”

According to the PHPA, the league’s ongoing unfair labor practices have undermined and obstructed the lawful collective bargaining process. Those practices date back to late spring/early summer, the PHPA alleges, when the ECHL made unilateral changes to mandatory subjects of bargaining and engaged in regressive negotiations.

This prompted the PHPA to file an unfair labor practice charge with the National Labor Relations Board seeking to remedy the league’s unlawful conduct and restore the parties’ statutory obligation to bargain in good faith.

The ECHL released a statement in response, stating that it is “continuing to negotiate a new collective bargaining agreement with the Professional Hockey Players’ Association.” The league says its goal remains to reach an agreement that increases player compensation, improves health and safety, and supports them on and off the ice.

Listed below are the current offerings from the league in response to the notice:

– An immediate 16.4% increase to the salary cap for this season and additional salary cap increases in the future.

– In addition to salaries, the league will cover 100% of player costs, including fully furnished housing, utility and internet expenses, as well as medical and dental benefits.

– Requirements for mandatory days off.

– Addressing travel between back-to-back games.

– Modifying holiday and mid-season breaks.

– Enabling teams to provide custom sticks and enabling all players to choose an alternate 5-star rated helmet from the Virginia Tech Helmet Study.

– Increase per-diems to $60 this year, as well as a 24.5% increase from the current rate in the future.

The league stated that a “work stoppage would result in at least some games being postponed for the 2025-2026 ECHL season, and have a significant impact on the players who would stop getting paid, and lose housing and medical benefits — something the ECHL leadership wants to avoid.”

The ECHL is a minor professional ice hockey league based in Shrewsbury, N.J., with teams across the United States and Canada. Competitively, it is a tier below the American Hockey League.

The league serves as a farm system to both the AHL and National Hockey League. Neither of those leagues is connected with the possible strike.