The Globe and Mail - 03.04.2020

B10 O THE GLOBE AND MAIL| FRIDAY, APRIL 3, 2020

T

om Parisi made the long
drive from South Carolina
to his home just south of
Boston with a lot on his mind.
The ECHL season had just
been cancelled because of the
coronavirus pandemic, and the
26-year-old wondered if he’d
need to dig for oysters on the
beach or do odd jobs around the
neighbourhood to make ends
meet. He and many fellow minor
hockey league players are strug-
gling and don’t know how they
will afford to get to next season.
“I’m obviously going to try my
best to do what I can to whip up
some money, but it might take a
couple weeks before I can even
do that,” Parisi said. “Just not
knowing what’s going to happen
and how I’m going to survive the
next couple months is probably
the biggest worry.”
The 26-team ECHL – a develop-
mental pro league just below the
American Hockey League – can-
celled its season in mid-March,
three weeks before the playoffs.
The final paycheques came
March 16, a significant blow to
more than 400 players on ECHL-
only contracts who make an av-
erage of US$700-725 a week, less
than US$3,000 a month.
Players on NHL deals continue
to be paid while the season is sus-
pended, but ECHL teams couldn’t
afford to follow the same path.
Hockey players in the minors
face an uncertain future and even
off-season jobs could be hard to
come by.
“I kind of figured that I’d be
able to just get maybe a labour or
summer job at the end of the sea-
son,” said 29-year-old forward
James Henry, a veteran of seven
ECHL seasons. “With how every-
thing’s going and everything be-
ing closed, that seems like a more
difficult job to obtain right now.”
Parisi and South Carolina Stin-
grays teammate Tim Harrison
thought they’d be preparing for a
playoff run that would have
meant bonus cheques deep into
the spring. Instead, Harrison –
who left hockey briefly to take a
finance job – is considering hang-
ing up his skates for good.
“Honestly, I think everything’s
on the table,” Harrison said.
He’s not alone. Blake Kessel,
brother of Arizona Coyotes win-
ger Phil Kessel and Olympic gold-
medal-winning forward Amanda

Kessel, has bounced around to

five different leagues and won-

dered if this season would be his

last at the age of 30.

“As you get a little older, if

you’re still in the [ECHL] obvi-

ously you’re not making a ton of

money,” Kessel said. “Some guys

might have to just retire and take

a more stable job, if they can find

it.”

Professional Hockey Players

Association executive director

Larry Landon said the organiza-

tion will contribute the first

US$200,000 into the COVID-19

ECHL Players Relief Fund, which

launched Wednesday.

“The creation of this fund is

one of the next steps in coming

together to help our players that

are in the most need at this time,”

ECHL commissioner Ryan Crelin

said.

Landon says he knows the

fund won’t be able to give players

100 per cent of what they would

have earned, but hopes members

look into the career-enhance-

ment program for ideas on life

beyond the sport.

Riley Weselowski, a 35-year-old

defenceman for Wichita, counts

himself fortunate that his wife

has a full-time job in the medical

field and the couple have enough

savings to last a couple of

months. Many players make

money over the summer by run-

ning or helping out at hockey

camps, but those are in doubt

during the pandemic.

“If this really drags on and we

start looking into June, July, we’re

going to be hurt obviously a lot

worse,” Weselowski said. “If it ev-

er did come to that and it drags

out that long, I think we’ll have

much bigger problems than just

worrying about that and obvious-

ly the country being in a pretty

bad spot if it does drag out that

long.”

ECHL players are quick to say

there are others around the

world with bigger problems. They

are grateful to have health care

paid for through June 30. And

there are efforts under way to

help.

“A lot of us have been talking

and trying to continue to find

ways to help them out,” 32-year-

old AHL forward Brett Sutter said.

“Guys there have families, and

there’s how they make a living

chasing their dreams.”

Landon said some players are

literally hurting because they

can’t get an elective surgery, such

as repairing a torn labrum. He is

also concerned about what the

ECHL might look like when it re-

turns, a sentiment a league

spokesman did not immediately

respond to a request for com-

ment on.

“I think we had some teams on

the edge of the cliff,” Landon said

“It’s important for us to keep that

in place for the players and the

teams that actually endure this

pandemic, and hopefully we sal-

vage as many teams as possible

for next year where the guys need

to work.”

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Minor-leaguersfacedownuncertainfuture

Withseasonscancelled

becauseofcoronavirus

pandemic,someplayers

arewonderinghow

they’llaffordtomakeit

tonextyear’scampaign

STEPHEN WHYNO

A shot by the Norfolk Admirals’ Alex Pompeo deflects off Adirondack Thunder goalie J.P. Anderson during a 2017 ECHL game. The league cancelled

this year’s season in mid-March and a fund has been set up to help its players, who got their last paycheques on March 16.L. TODD SPENCER/AP

They held down a playoff spot
when games were halted. But the
only thing they have been con-
sistent at is inconsistency
throughout.
“During a pause like this, there
is lots of time to process what’s
happened this year,” Rielly said.
“As a team, it is important that
we use this down time to take a
look in the mirror. When play re-
sumes, we have to be better.
“Deep inside, you have to take
it personally and have to help
the team be more consistent.”
He is in quarantine in British
Columbia with his girlfriend, Tes-
sa Virtue. He and the Olympic-
champion ice dancer have dated
quietly for a while.
On Jan. 8, they came out to-
gether to attend Maple Leaf
Sports and Entertainment’s an-
nual blue and white gala at To-
ronto’s Fairmont Royal York.
It created a Canada-wide buzz.
Who needs Harry and Meghan
when we’ve got such an appeal-
ing couple? Both universally
liked athletes. Fans of both ap-
prove.
In February, Virtue left a heart-
eyes emoji on an Instagram post
of Rielly looking dapper in a suit.

A while later, Rielly’s teammate,

Auston Matthews, addressed the

blossoming romance on the pop-

ular Barstool Sports podcastSpit-

tin Chiclets. It seems Auston’s

nose was getting a bit out of joint

as his buddy, Mo, continuously

dodged him.

“I was pretty upset with him

for a while,” Matthews said then.

“He kind of kept it quiet. He

didn’t really come out and say

[anything]. I got kind of rattled

at him. Then I met her and she is

an absolute sweetheart so I told

him, ‘All right, I’ll give you the

benefit of the doubt.’ ”

A little more than a week ago,

Virtue did an interview on Insta-

gram Live posted by Arkells

frontman Max Kerman. At one

point, Rielly ducked in over her

shoulder to say hi, and then later

sat beside her and wrapped one

arm around her.

They let on that they were

working out together, had done

core training on FaceTime with a

trainer from Toronto, and were

enjoying long walks and hikes

and things at home.

This is pleasing and fun in a

world where we are all social dis-

tancing.

“We are both kind of in it to-

gether,” Rielly said when asked

about his paramour. He let on

that they have barbecue steak

and chicken dinners, but little

else. “We are trying to keep each

other sane. I don’t want to say

too much about it, but ... I’m

glad in a time like this that I’m

not alone. We all need somebody

to talk to.”

He was watching basketball at

home in Toronto on March 11

when the news broke that the

NBA was suspending games. He

and other players reported to

Scotiabank Arena the next day

for a morning skate.

Instead, they were all sent

home. By midafternoon, the NHL

and virtually all remaining pro-

fessional leagues had followed

the NBA’s lead.

“Things became very real,”

Rielly says.

He says his perspective has

changed.

“You go for groceries in the

morning and realize you have to

get there early enough to be able

to pick something up,” he says.

“Every week there is a new expe-

rience. You go to the grocery now

and there is a line out the door.

“It’s scary, but we have to re-

member we are all in this togeth-

er. Just being inside for this long

is new territory for all of us. You

have to do what you can do to

keep yourself in a good state of

mind.”

He hopes to play hockey again

soon

“A point comes where it is not

in our control,” he says. “I can

tell you the players miss playing

and want to play. It is strange not

being out there. Hopefully, the

time comes where it will hap-

pen.”

Rielly:Defenceman’srelationshipsagacreatedCanada-widebuzz,riledoneteammate

FROM B9

Morgan Rielly, seen in a game on Dec. 27, 2019, in Newark, N.J., says

that while living through the coronavirus pandemic is scary, ‘we have to

remember we are all in this together.’BRUCE BENNETT/GETTY IMAGES

HOCKEY

OTTAWAThe owner of the NHL’s
Ottawa Senators has announced
the organization is implement-
ing temporary layoffs and salary
reductions because of the CO-
VID-19 pandemic.
Eugene Melnyk’s company
Capital Sports & Entertainment
said in a release Thursday that
its full-time work force will be
reduced effective Sunday, when

the Senators’ season was origi-

nally scheduled to end. Those

not laid off could be placed on

furlough while others could

have their salaries reduced.

The release said employee

health benefits will continue

uninterrupted and an unem-

ployment plan has been created

that will supplement employ-

ment insurance benefits until

July 3 up to a minimum of 80

per cent of base salary.

Melnyk had pledged to pay

the income for part-time and

hourly arena staff of the Ottawa

Senators and the AHL Belleville

Senators through to the end of

their respective seasons. The

NHL season was suspended on

March 12 in response to the

spread of the novel coronavirus.

“Our employees have contin-

ued to work with dedication

during these difficult times,”

Melnyk said in the release. “We

want to thank them for their

continued loyalty by providing

support, as we all face extraor-

dinary challenges. Although the

sports and entertainment indus-

try is being impacted severely,

we will pull through by staying

committed together. I look

forward to the day when it is

safe to reopen our doors and

welcome back employees, fans

and community partners.”

The Edmonton Oilers, Calgary

Flames, Montreal Canadiens and

Boston Bruins previously an-

nounced temporary layoffs and

salary reductions.

THE CANADIAN PRESS

OTTAWASENATORSANNOUNCETEMPORARYLAYOFFS,SALARYREDUCTIONSBECAUSEOFCORONAVIRUS

Canadian forward Jordan Kawa-

guchi is one of the three finalists

for this year’s Hobey Baker

award, given annually to the top

player in NCAA men’s hockey.

Kawaguchi, from Abbotsford,

B.C., had 15 goals and 30 assists

in 33 games while helping the

North Dakota Fighting Hawks to

the NCHC regular-season title,

which was awarded after the

season was ended March 12

owing to the coronavirus pan-

demic.

Kawaguchi was named the

NCHC’s forward of the year and

was a finalist for the circuit’s

player of the year. His 15 multi-

point games ranked second in

the NCAA.

University of Minnesota Du-

luth defenceman Scott Perunov-

ich and University of Maine

goaltender Jeremy Swayman are

the other finalists. The winner of

the award will be announced

April 11.

THE CANADIAN PRESS

ABBOTSFORD’S JORDAN KAWAGUCHI CHOSEN FINALIST

FOR HOBEY BAKER AWARD AS TOP NCAA HOCKEY PLAYER