New Women’s Hockey League Expected to Launch in January Following Purchase of PHF: Reports
A new North American professional women’s hockey league appears to be on its way.
According to multiple reports, the Mark Walter Group acquired “certain assets” from the Premier Hockey Federation on Thursday. The Associated Press also reports that a new league is expected to launch in January as a result.
Mark Walter is a part owner of Major League Baseball’s Los Angeles Dodgers. Along with Billie Jean King Enterprises, the company was signed a letter of intent by the Professional Women’s Hockey Players’ Association in 2022 and the parties have been working for the past 14 months on a bid to launch their own league.
The PWHPA certified as a union this spring and concluded negotiations on a collective bargaining agreement. A 62-page CBA was presented Thursday night to PWHPA members and they have until Sunday night to ratify it and the league’s new bylaws, a person with direct knowledge of the agreement told The Associated Press.
In the meantime, PHF players’ existing contracts have reportedly been nullified, although there is an agreement to pay the contractors part of their salary through September. Some players lose contracts worth more than $150,000 over two seasons.
CBC Sports has not independently confirmed the reports.
The PWHPA was created after 12 years from the collapse of the Canadian Women’s Hockey League in 2019.
The association has since stormed across North America in Dream Gap Tour tournaments and games.
The goal of the players is a sustainable league that pays a living wage and provides the competitive support that the male pros receive.
PWHPA membership has not joined the seven-team PHF, which has teams in Toronto and Montreal. The Toronto Six won the PHF championship Isobel Cup this year. Each PHF team played a 24-game regular season.
LOOK | Toronto Six wins 2023 Isobel Cup:
The Toronto Six captured their first championship title, the Isobel Cup, after three years in the Premier Hockey Federation, a women’s professional ice hockey league. Players hope the trophy will shine a light on women’s hockey.
While the PHF has made strides in professionalizing women’s hockey, including doubling next season’s salary cap to $1.5 million per team, PWHPA players claim they have a different vision of a women’s professional league.
The PHF – which will reportedly cease operations – was set to enter its ninth season ahead of Thursday’s deal.
The PWHPA has nearly 100 members listed on its website, including the majority of Canada’s women’s hockey team.
Half of the US women’s roster at the 2023 World Championship, including star Hilary Knight, are also PWHPA members.
LOOK | Professional women’s hockey struggles to gain traction:
Grassroots girls’ hockey has grown exponentially in recent years, but professional women’s hockey is struggling to gain a foothold. Experts say there is potential for a league to thrive if approached the right way.
