PORTLAND – Citing ongoing indoor gathering limiting affecting teams abilities to host fans, the Mariners and the other members of the North Division will not play.
The Maine Mariners and their entire East Coast Hockey League North Division announced Wednesday they will not be playing this season. That division include Maine, Worcester, Adirondack, Newfoundland, Brampton and Reading..
ECHL league officials cited an inability for the teams to host fans in the cities that are home to North Division teams in the decision.
All six teams are expecting to return to play in time for the 2021-2022 season.
Mariners Head Coach Riley Armstrong says the decision was a hard pill to swallow:“I think it was probably one of the hardest things I’ve had to do in my young coaching career making the phone call last night with [Mariners V.P. of Operations Danny Briere] just to tell the players that we’re not gonna play this year, it puts them in a panic spot as well with trying to find jobs and they’re not many jobs available.”
Players on the rosters of teams not playing this season are immediately free agents for the 2020-2021 season, per the ECHL announcement.
