ECHL ends Newfoundland membership

The ECHL announced Tuesday that the League's Board of Directors has resolved to immediately suspend the membership of the Newfoundland Growlers for their failure to meet their obligations under the ECHL Bylaws.

ECHL Commissioner Ryan Crellin said, “We are disappointed to lose ECHL hockey to the Newfoundland market.” “We would like to thank the Growlers fans and partners who have supported the team throughout its existence, and we would like to thank the Growlers fans and partners who have supported the team throughout its existence. I hope so.”

The ECHL and the Professional Hockey Players Association have agreed that, in accordance with the ECHL/PHPA Collective Bargaining Agreement, all ECHL contracted players on Newfoundland's roster are unrestricted free agents, but ECHL members cannot sign two or more players from free agency. Agreed that it cannot be done. Newfoundland player agent pool. Players in this pool who sign with a new ECHL member for the remainder of the 2023-24 season and end the season will no longer be eligible for that member's Protected List and will become unrestricted free agents at the end of the 2023-24 season. The only exception to this rule applies to Theron Noel, whose ECHL rights will revert to the Allen Americans after the season as part of the completion of a future consideration trade owed to Newfoundland.

Players on AHL/NHL contracts who were on Newfoundland's roster after 11:59 p.m. ET (AHL/NHL Recall Reassignment Deadline) on Wednesday, March 20th will play the remainder of the season in the ECHL. I have no qualifications.

The following games on the 2023-24 ECHL regular season schedule have been cancelled.

ECHL Game #943 – Trois-Rivières, Newfoundland (Friday, April 5)
ECHL Game #954 – Trois-Rivières, Newfoundland (Saturday, April 6)
ECHL Game #965 – Trois-Rivières, Newfoundland (Sunday, April 7)
ECHL Game #974 – Norfolk at Newfoundland (Thursday, April 11)
ECHL Game #995 – Norfolk at Newfoundland (Saturday, April 13th)
ECHL Game #1,007 – Norfolk at Newfoundland (Sunday, April 14)

Playoff seeds for the remaining six North Division teams will be determined by point percentage, as well as home ice advantage in the Eastern Conference Finals and Kelly Cup Finals, if the North Division teams advance to the round.