The Professional Hockey Players’ Association and the American Hockey League have officially ratified a new collective bargaining agreement, securing labour peace for the league and its players.
The deal was approved on Wednesday following a league-wide vote by AHL players.
“The American Hockey League is pleased to have completed this Collective Bargaining Agreement,” said AHL president and CEO Scott Howson in a statement. “I would like to thank executive director Brian Ramsay and the PHPA’s AHL Executive Committee for their work in reaching the new agreement. We have long had a positive relationship with our players and we look forward to continuing to work with the PHPA so that the league and our players can grow and prosper for years to come.”
Both sides worked out a tentative deal for a new CBA back on Jan. 7, which helped secure stability for the 32 teams in the league until Aug. 31, 2030.
The news of the CBA deal for the AHL came shortly after the PHPA and the ECHL reached an agreement and ratified it, following a strike by players from the third-tier league that had been staged during the holiday break, which resulted in 41 games being postponed.
“This agreement delivers important gains for our members while providing long-term certainty across the League,” PHPA Executive Director Brian Ramsay wrote in a statement. “This was a collaborative and disciplined bargaining process that resulted in a strong agreement for our membership. I’d like to thank the PHPA bargaining committee, our AHL membership, our PHPA staff, as well as Scott Howson and the AHL bargaining committee for their efforts.”
The AHL is celebrating its 90th-anniversary season.