The Premier Hockey Federation is more than doubling each teams鈥� salary cap to $750,000 and adding two expansion franchises next season in a bid to capitalize on the wave of attention women鈥檚 hockey traditionally enjoys following the Winter Olympics.
The PHF鈥檚 announcement on Tuesday of its board of governors鈥� commitment to invest more than $25 million over the next three years is also considered a major step in attempting to thaw its relationship with United States and Canadian national team players, who have balked at joining North America鈥檚 lone professional women鈥檚 hockey league.
鈥淚t鈥檚 an amazing investment by the ownership, and it really reaffirms the strength of their commitment to being a difference-maker in women鈥檚 hockey,鈥� PHF Commissioner Ty Tumminia told The Associated Press.
鈥淚t鈥檚 important for us to advance to our next season and be crystal clear about the direction we鈥檙e headed, and what framework will be so that all athletes can make an informed decision about their careers,鈥� Tumminia added, noting the timing of the announcement comes two weeks before the Winter Games open in Beijing.
The six-team PHF is moving forward with plans to establish a team in Montreal and, without disclosing where, adding another expansion franchise in the United States.
The boost in the cap from $300,000 this season will lead to an average salary of $37,500 based on a 20-player minimum roster or $30,000 for a league-maximum 25-player roster. There will be no limits placed on a player鈥檚 salary as long as the team鈥檚 overall payroll remains under the cap.
The cash influx will also lead to the PHF providing full health-care benefits to its players, improving facilities and increasing the number of practices. Players will also gain a 10% equity in their respective team and have control over their likeness for marketing opportunities.
鈥淭his is the time to double-down,鈥� PHF board of governors chairman John Boynton said. 鈥淲e think this is a giant step forward of making it possible for the best women鈥檚 hockey players to earn a living playing the game they love.鈥�
The league from $150,000 a year ago, while also adding an expansion team in Toronto.
The PHF has made numerous sponsorship and broadcasting inroads over the past year, including having games aired on ESPN-Plus in the U.S. and sa国际传媒鈥檚 TSN.
Tumminia noted the league was able to generate those agreements based on this being an Olympic year.
鈥淭his is a very pivotal time in women's hockey. There's no denying the impact the Olympics have on the interest in the women's game and how the the landscape can change after Beijing,鈥� she said.
The PHF currently has teams based in Boston, Toronto, Monmouth Junction, New Jersey, St. Paul, Minnesota, Danbury, sa国际传媒icut, and Buffalo, New York.
The fast-tracked approach follows two years in which the PHF overhauled its business and ownership model, and by changing its name from the National Women鈥檚 Hockey League last summer.
PHF teams are now privately owned, though some ownership groups control more than one franchise.
Upon being founded as a start-up four-team venture in 2015 by Dani Rylan Kearny, the league previously controlled all its franchises and relied on outside investors to make up the revenue gap from ticket and merchandise sales to pay for salary, travel and administrative costs.
The instability of the business model led to the NWHL slashing players salaries by more than half in its second season. The move led to a distrust among players, some of whom bolted to play for the Canadian Women鈥檚 Hockey League, which folded in May 2019.
The CWHL鈥檚 demise led to the world鈥檚 top players forming the in a united bid to establish a single North American professional league 鈥� ideally backed by the NHL 鈥� with a long-term sustainable economic model.
The PWHPA has spent the past two years holding a series of barnstorming weekend events called the 鈥淒ream Gap Tour鈥� across North America.
Tumminia believes the PHF鈥檚 latest investment, and the inclusion of health-care benefits, meets the PWHPA鈥檚 vision.
鈥淲e can鈥檛 speak for them, but our position has always been that a single professional women鈥檚 hockey league in North America provides the best opportunities for growth and sustainability of the game,鈥� she said. 鈥淭his investment supports everything we all want to see, and that鈥檚 enhance opportunities for athletes and take the sport to the next level.鈥�
Boynton said the PHF's growth is sustainable based on the resources at hand, and hinted there's more to come.
鈥淚 think we鈥檙e moving as fast as we possibly can, and it鈥檚 never fast enough,鈥� Boynton said. 鈥淥ur top priority is to increase compensation as quickly as we possibly can. So are we moving it up quickly? Yes. Are we finished moving it up? No.鈥�
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John Wawrow, The Associated Press
