Players want a minimum wage

The players in the ICE Hockey League have voted by an overwhelming majority in favour of a minimum wage. In a survey conducted by the Younion players’ union, 97 per cent voted for the introduction of a salary floor.

The professionals who took part in the vote did not envisage an unrealistic figure as a minimum, instead demanding an average of €13.000 net per season. “We believe that, on the one hand, the players have been very realistic in their calculations and, on the other, have shown great solidarity with younger players. After all, anyone who makes it to the top league and has to train, travel, work and live like a professional should not be fobbed off with a few hundred euros a month,” Younion chairman Sascha Tomanek explained in a statement on the survey, which was conducted for the first time.

Sporting rankings were also compiled in the survey. The most sought-after player to win a game was Ty Loney. The Vienna Capitals forward received 23 per cent of the votes, clearly finishing ahead of KAC veteran Thomas Koch (8) and KAC goaltender Sebastian Dahm (5), who had won the league’s vote for the most valuable player of the regular season. Oliver Pilloni of champions Meister EC-KAC was voted the league’s best general manager with a commanding 53 per cent.