FILE – USA Hockey General Manager Reagan Carey is interviewed in Plymouth Township, Michigan December 15, 2016. The premier hockey federation is doubling down on women’s hockey by announcing plans to raise its salary cap to 1.5 million dollars per team for the 2023-24 season in an aggressive attempt to deepen its talent pool by providing players with the opportunity to earn a living wage. The PHF currently consists of seven franchises, although commissioner Reagan Carey told The Associated Press that expansion is being considered again after the league added a team in Montreal this season. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio, File)
FILE – USA Hockey General Manager Reagan Carey is interviewed in Plymouth Township, Michigan December 15, 2016. The premier hockey federation is doubling down on women’s hockey by announcing plans to raise its salary cap to 1.5 million dollars per team for the 2023-24 season in an aggressive attempt to deepen its talent pool by providing players with the opportunity to earn a living wage. The PHF currently consists of seven franchises, although commissioner Reagan Carey told The Associated Press that expansion is being considered again after the league added a team in Montreal this season. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio, File)
The Premier Hockey Federation is stepping up its efforts for women’s hockey by announcing plans to increase its salary cap to $1.5 million per team for the 2023-24 season in an aggressive goal to deepen its talent pool by offering players the opportunity to earn a living wage.
The increase, announced Wednesday morning, will double each team’s current cap of $750,000 this season and is part of an overall commitment of $25 million over three years. approved by the league’s board of governors 11 months ago. The PHF currently consists of seven franchises, although commissioner Reagan Carey told The Associated Press that expansion is being considered again after the league added a team in Montreal this season.
“This is just another example of us pushing forward with what we know is a great sport for an even wider audience, and doing more for the players who participate in it,” Carey said. “We view this announcement as a victory for anyone who cares about women’s sports, but especially women’s hockey.
The approval came during the league’s winter meetings, and the jump in the salary cap now represents a 900% increase from 2021-22, when each team’s salary cap was $150,000. As part of its cash flow, the PHF also began providing comprehensive health care benefits to players this season, while increasing league operations staff and improving team facilities.
“It’s a big commitment and reflects the dedication of everyone involved with the PHF, and the understanding of the importance of reaching this historic number,” Carey said. “I think it certainly demonstrates the strength of our league and the business development model that we are working toward and continuing to create. It just shows the confidence and direction of the PHF.
As for the expansion, Carey said, “it’s definitely on the role,” without providing further details or a timeline.
This season’s salary cap increase led to Mikyla Grant-Mentis becoming the first female hockey player in North America to sign an $80,000 contract with the Buffalo Beauts. Under a cap of $1.5 million, a 20-player roster would net each earning player an average of $75,000 per season.
Carey said all seven teams have exceeded 75% of their salary caps, with some having already reached the limit.
“This is an incredible development and a testament to the unwavering commitment of the people who make it a reality,” wrote PHF Players’ Association executive director Nicole Corriero in a text to the PA. “Most importantly, the AP recognizes the many past and current players who have served as trailblazers for the league and the sport as a whole. … The success of this league and its continued growth would not be possible without them.
The influx of money means teams will be able to offer salaries in excess of $150,000, which would be more than what U.S. and Canadian national team players are currently paid. Attracting national team players is seen as the final hurdle for the PHF to establish itself as the premier North American arena for women’s hockey.
Most national team players were hesitant to join the PHF. They instead formed the Professional Women’s Hockey Players Association, which partnered with investors and NHL franchises to form its own league. Initial plans to unveil the league by the end of this year have been pushed back indefinitely to 2023.
The increase in FPH funding coincides with the league’s overhaul of its business and ownership model, which included changing its name from the National Women’s Hockey League two years ago.
PHF teams are now privately held, although some ownership groups control more than one franchise. Besides Buffalo and Montreal, the league has teams based in Boston, New Jersey, Connecticut, Minnesota and Toronto.
The NWHL was founded in 2015 by Dani Rylan Kearny as a four-team start-up to become the first women’s hockey league in North America to pay salaries to female players. The league initially controlled all of its franchises while relying on outside investors to fill the revenue gap from ticket and merchandise sales to pay salaries, travel expenses and administrative expenses.
The PHF now has numerous sponsorship deals and broadcast deals with ESPN+ and TSN from Canada to broadcast all of its games.
Carey, in his first year as commissioner, could not have imagined such a level of financial commitment to women’s hockey a decade ago, during her eight-year tenure overseeing the women’s game at USA Hockey. The challenges then were to find creative ways to keep national team players and prospects in the sport, as there were few options for them to earn a living while playing hockey after college.
“To see how far we have come, no, it would be difficult to imagine that we are there. And recognizing how many people need to be part of that commitment to get things done is humbling,” Carey said. “Just an exceptional amount of traction and advancement in a short time.”
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AP sports: https://apnews.com/hub/apf-sports and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
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