Final Utah Grizzlies Season In Jeopardy As PHPA Issues League-Wide Strike

SALT LAKE CITY – As the Utah Grizzlies navigate their final campaign in Utah before moving to New Jersey this next summer, their season could be in jeopardy of a premature ending as ECHL players prepare for a league-wide strike.

ECHL MEMBERSHIP SERVES STRIKE NOTICE

🔗: https://t.co/kchqpTmusm pic.twitter.com/j6JCk1oWKd

— PHPA (@thephpa) December 23, 2025

ECHL players prepare for league-wide strike on December 26

According to the Professional Hockey Players’ Association (Union that negotiates collective bargaining rights for players in the ECHL and AHL), ECHL games will halt on December 26 as the players prepare to strike.

What are they seeking?

Fairness, proper gear, established off days, a clear holiday break and transparent communication with the PHPA.

“It has taken almost a year to persuade the league that we should be entitled to choose helmets that properly fit us. We still have clubs supplying members with used equipment. The league shows no concern or regard for players’ travel schedule and has said that the nine-hour bus trip home should be considered our day off,” The PHPA noted in an official statement.

“Until a few days ago, the league was not prepared to give us a day off per week, and they refused to negotiate a meaningful holiday break that allows players to be home with our families, which would be consistent with professional hockey in North America.”

According to the ECHL, Teams are required to pay rookie players a minimum salary of $530 per week and returning players a minimum salary of $575 per week.

With approximately 21 weeks from training camp to the end of the regular season, that results in a total salary of $12,075 for returning players and $11,130 for rookies.

ECHL issues response to PHPA’s list of demands

In response to the PHPA’s strike notice, the ECHL responded with a statement of their own, outlining their most recent offer to players in search of a new CBA agreement after the previous one expired this past summer.

“As we continue to negotiate a new collective bargaining agreement (CBA) with the Professional Hockey Players’ Association (PHPA), our goal continues to be reaching an agreement that increases player compensation, improves health and safety, and delivers on new initiatives that are responsive to our players to support them on and off the ice,” The ECHL stated.

“Our approach will continue to balance the need to best support our players and maintain a sustainable business model that helps ensure the long-term success of our league, so it remains affordable and accessible to fans.”

The following is a list of the ECHL’s most recent proposals:

• An immediate 16.4% increase to the salary cap for this season – to be paid retroactively from the start of the season (which would be paid upon ratification).
• Additional salary cap increases in future years, which would increase total player salaries nearly 27% from the current cap.
• In addition to player salaries, the ECHL will continue to cover 100 percent of player costs for:
  • Fully furnished housing
  • Utility and internet costs
  • Medical and dental benefit

• We have also made several proposals aimed at improving health and safety, including:
  • Requirements for mandatory days off
  • Addressing travel between back-to-back games
  • Modifying holiday and mid-season breaks
• Enable every team to provide custom sticks and enable all players to choose an alternate 5-Star rated helmet from the Virginia Tech Helmet Study.
• Increase per diems (reimbursements for meals while traveling) to $60 this year, as well as future increases that will raise it by 24.5 percent from the current rate.

The PHPA remains willing to continue negotiations towards reaching a new CBA, however, according to National Insider Elliotte Friedman, there’s been very little progress and talks “haven’t been pretty.”

The AHL and the PHPA — which represents minor-league players — closing in on new CBA. Must be ratified by both parties (expected to be a formality). Five-year deal, retroactive to the start of this season.

ECHL players are meeting virtually to discuss possibility of a strike,…

— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) December 22, 2025

If an agreement is not met, games will officially halt on December 26 with no timeline for when they could resume.

For Utah Grizzlies fans, that could mean the team has played their final game at the Maverik Center.

Cole Bagley is the Utah Mammoth insider for KSL Sports. Keep up with him on X here. You can hear Cole break down the team on KSL Sports Zone and KSL 5 TV.

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