PWHPA, Billie Jean King Enterprises exploring starting women’s hockey league: Source
2 years, 7 months ago

PWHPA, Billie Jean King Enterprises exploring starting women’s hockey league: Source

New York Times  

The PWHPA has entered into a formal relationship with Billie Jean King Enterprises and The Mark Walter Group to explore the launch of a new professional women’s hockey league, a source told The Athletic Tuesday. The Walter Group and BJK Enterprises’ involvement marks a major step forward toward the PWHPA’s goal of creating a financially stable, professional league for elite women’s hockey players. King, the former tennis champion, is a trailblazer for gender equity in sport and is involved with several ownership groups across professional sports via Billie Jean King Enterprises, including minority stakes in the NWSL’s Angel City FC, the WNBA’s Los Angeles Sparks and the Dodgers. The league model players and the Deloitte team have outlined as foundational pieces are as follows: A six-team league with 23-player rosters and three coaches A 32-game schedule played from January to April A four-team playoff with three best-of-five series to determine the league’s champion A minimum salary of $35,000 and a league-average salary of $55,000 These details were previously reported by Sportsnet’s Jeff Marek and confirmed independently by The Athletic.

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History of this topic

The PWHL pulled off its inaugural season. Year 2 will decide the future of women’s pro hockey
4 weeks, 1 day ago

The PWHL pulled off its inaugural season. Year 2 will decide the future of women’s pro hockey

New York Times  

Marie-Philip Poulin stood on the blue line at the Bell Centre, fighting back tears. “Having the Bell Centre packed for women’s hockey … it we finally made it.” That April 20 game broke the all-time attendance record for women’s hockey, one of many milestones for the inaugural Professional Women’s Hockey League season. And just nine days after Minnesota won the …

As PWHL prepares to grow, which cities are top candidates for expansion teams?
1 month, 3 weeks ago

As PWHL prepares to grow, which cities are top candidates for expansion teams?

New York Times  

The Professional Women’s Hockey League is officially preparing for expansion. Hefford basically said as much at the neutral site game hosted at Little Caesars Arena last season, which set a U.S. record for attendance at a women’s professional hockey game. And tonight has just been another proof point that this is a market that loves hockey and I think loves …

Pro Women’s Hockey League season deemed a success, though challenges remain entering Year 2
7 months ago

Pro Women’s Hockey League season deemed a success, though challenges remain entering Year 2

Associated Press  

Stan Kasten never promised the inaugural season of the Professional Women’s Hockey League would go off without a few hitches. “But even then, I couldn’t have imagined how the year would play out.” The six-team PWHL is riding high following a season in which it averaged 5,448 fans per game, including a women’s hockey record of 21,105 to Montreal’s Bell …

PWHL’s strong first season coincides with a growing appetite for women’s sports
7 months, 2 weeks ago

PWHL’s strong first season coincides with a growing appetite for women’s sports

Associated Press  

Less than a year since getting off the ground, the Professional Women’s Hockey League has staged its inaugural season with 72 games around North America televised or streamed and attendance records broken over and over, putting the sport in the spotlight like never before. Internally, advisory board member Stan Kasten acknowledged, “We still have a long way to go till …

U.S.-Canada world championship final is no guarantee as competitive gap in women’s hockey closes
8 months, 3 weeks ago

U.S.-Canada world championship final is no guarantee as competitive gap in women’s hockey closes

Associated Press  

Fond as Hilary Knight is of the fierce women’s hockey rivalry between the United States and Canada, the 34-year-old has watched her sport’s international growth enough to realize the decades-long era of North American dominance might finally be coming to close. “And that’s why you really have to take this tournament one game at a time because nothing’s guaranteed.” There’s …

Yohe: PWHL belongs in Pittsburgh, and Montreal vs. Toronto offered undeniable proof
9 months, 1 week ago

Yohe: PWHL belongs in Pittsburgh, and Montreal vs. Toronto offered undeniable proof

New York Times  

PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh sports scene has been the theater of the bizarre in recent days. The Professional Women’s Hockey League played a neutral site game between Toronto and Montreal on Sunday. What happened Sunday was pure bliss for a growing number of fans who simply want a professional women’s hockey team to root for in Pittsburgh. Crosby has long …

PWHL players joining NHL All-Star festivities is a chance to celebrate and grow the new league
10 months, 3 weeks ago

PWHL players joining NHL All-Star festivities is a chance to celebrate and grow the new league

Associated Press  

Women’s hockey has been on quite the sprint for the past seven months. Two dozen of the PWHL’s top players took part in a 3-on-3 showcase game at NHL All-Star Weekend on Thursday night, and their role in the festivities is a chance for members of the league to celebrate the successful start and get even more exposure on an …

Eyeing PWHL expansion, Penguins prepare for a women’s team: ‘This will work in Pittsburgh’
11 months ago

Eyeing PWHL expansion, Penguins prepare for a women’s team: ‘This will work in Pittsburgh’

New York Times  

In its inaugural season, the PWHL has seen record crowds, impressive television numbers and a highly competitive product on the ice. But, Acklin said, there might be something poetic about Pittsburgh being the first wave of both NHL and PWHL expansion: “It’s worked well for us in the NHL.” “We’re happy at least that there is a league, because there’s …

New women’s professional hockey league, with hopes of staying power, ready to drop the puck
11 months, 3 weeks ago

New women’s professional hockey league, with hopes of staying power, ready to drop the puck

Associated Press  

No longer a far-fetched notion, the Professional Women’s Hockey League is approaching reality and Sarah Nurse can’t help but pinch herself. “And now, you feel good about the table, and how do we grow that table, is kind of the path we’re down.” Not lost on this generation of players is crediting those who preceded them, such as Darwitz and …

Ikuzo! Ottawa’s roster brings international flavor to newly launched women’s pro hockey league
11 months, 4 weeks ago

Ikuzo! Ottawa’s roster brings international flavor to newly launched women’s pro hockey league

Associated Press  

“Ikuzo!” as they’d say in Japan. The roster of Ottawa’s new Professional Women’s Hockey League team has such an array of international talent that defenseman Jincy Roese said one way to spur the bonding experience was having everyone learn how to say “Let’s go!” in various languages. “Oh, my gosh, it’s so cool,” said Roese, a U.S. national team player …

With rosters and staff in place, new women’s pro hockey league ready to open training camps
1 year, 1 month ago

With rosters and staff in place, new women’s pro hockey league ready to open training camps

Associated Press  

The title of general manager doesn’t completely capture the many tasks on Danielle Marmer’s to-do list in the two months since taking over the Professional Women’s Hockey League franchise in Boston. “Like it’s pretty cool to say that I have my fingerprints on not only building the team itself, but the building of the locker room, the offices, the players’ …

New Pro Women’s Hockey League unveils its logo with the emphasis placed on the ‘W’
1 year, 2 months ago

New Pro Women’s Hockey League unveils its logo with the emphasis placed on the ‘W’

Associated Press  

The newly launched Professional Women’s Hockey League placed a big emphasis on the “W” in its identity in a logo it unveiled Tuesday. “When people see the logo, they will recognize how it represents women and immediately know it’s about hockey,” PWHL board member Stan Kasten said in a statement. “The ‘W’ symbol speaks for itself but offers versatility to …

As the NHL lends an assist, top men’s players hope the new women’s hockey league thrives
1 year, 2 months ago

As the NHL lends an assist, top men’s players hope the new women’s hockey league thrives

Associated Press  

Sharing the ice during NHL All-Star festivities and informal training skates and crossing paths at various Olympics over the past several years, some of the best men’s and women’s hockey players in the world got to talking. They play a great game that we all love, and they do a great job at it and deserve that opportunity to have …

Unable to play professionally, Darwitz realizes women’s hockey dream as one of PWHLs 6 GMs
1 year, 3 months ago

Unable to play professionally, Darwitz realizes women’s hockey dream as one of PWHLs 6 GMs

Associated Press  

Three-time U.S. Olympian Natalie Darwitz never realized her dream of playing professional hockey. The former U.S. national team captain will oversee the Professional Women’s Hockey League’s yet-to-be-named franchise in Minneapolis-St. Paul after being named one of the newly established league’s six general managers on Friday. “I don’t want to lose sight fo the fact that this is going to be …

New Professional Women’s Hockey League is getting support from the NHL, just not the financial kind
1 year, 3 months ago

New Professional Women’s Hockey League is getting support from the NHL, just not the financial kind

Associated Press  

The new Professional Women’s Hockey League has a framework for its inaugural season and the six cities teams will play in when the pucks drop in January. “They have been fantastically supportive of us from the first minute that I spoke with Gary Bettman,” PWHL board member Stan Kasten said Tuesday, referring to the NHL commissioner. For the first time, …

New women’s pro hockey league provides sneak peak on its 6 markets: 3 in U.S. and 3 in Canada
1 year, 3 months ago

New women’s pro hockey league provides sneak peak on its 6 markets: 3 in U.S. and 3 in Canada

Associated Press  

The newly established Professional Women’s Hockey League provided a sneak peak as to where it’s six franchises will be based Monday night, a day before it is scheduled to make the news official. In that time, the new league has completed second interviews with a group of general manager finalists, who include former U.S. national women’s team captain Natalie Darwitz …

A new women’s hockey league launches in January. There’s plenty of work to do before then
1 year, 5 months ago

A new women’s hockey league launches in January. There’s plenty of work to do before then

Associated Press  

Jayna Hefford gets goose bumps thinking about what it will be like when the puck drops in January on a new women’s hockey league featuring the world’s best players. The stage is set for that after a new ownership group bought out the Professional Hockey Federation and members of the Professional Women’s Hockey Players’ Association unanimously ratified a collective bargaining …

Professional Women’s Hockey Players’ Association ratifies CBA to launch new league, AP source says
1 year, 5 months ago

Professional Women’s Hockey Players’ Association ratifies CBA to launch new league, AP source says

Associated Press  

It’s game on for a new, yet-to-be named women’s pro hockey league to launch in January after union members cleared the final major hurdle on Sunday by unanimously ratifying a collective bargaining agreement and a constitution, a person with direct knowledge of the vote told The Associated Press. Brant Feldman, a player agent who represents numerous national team members, released …

A new pro women’s hockey league is set to launch in January with 6 teams in North America
1 year, 5 months ago

A new pro women’s hockey league is set to launch in January with 6 teams in North America

Associated Press  

Organizers announced plans Friday to launch a new women’s professional hockey league in January that they hope will provide a stable, economically sustainable home for the sport’s top players for years to come. “I don’t think there’s a more significant moment for the game since women’s ice hockey became an Olympic sport in 1998,” Professional Hockey Federation Commissioner Reagan Carey …

What we know about the PHF shutdown, and more on the new pro women’s hockey league
1 year, 5 months ago

What we know about the PHF shutdown, and more on the new pro women’s hockey league

New York Times  

There was a major shake-up in professional women’s hockey on Thursday night. The Professional Women’s Hockey Players Association partnered with the Mark Walter Group and BJK Enterprises in May 2022 with the intent of launching a new women’s professional hockey league that could stand the test of time. Two months after the CWHL folded, 200 of the top female hockey …

Premier Hockey Federation to cease operations; new women’s hockey league to launch January 2024
1 year, 5 months ago

Premier Hockey Federation to cease operations; new women’s hockey league to launch January 2024

New York Times  

The Premier Hockey Federation has been purchased by The Mark Walter Group and Billie Jean King Enterprises, multiple sources briefed on the situation told The Athletic. The news comes after a long-running divide between the league and the Professional Women’s Hockey Players Association, and fundamentally alters the landscape of professional women’s hockey. In May 2022, The Athletic was first to …

Centralized league is solution to closing women’s hockey gap
1 year, 8 months ago

Centralized league is solution to closing women’s hockey gap

Associated Press  

Eager as coach Carla MacLeod is to see how her Czech Republic team handles the challenge of making its Group A debut at the women’s world hockey championships, the two-time Canadian Olympian understood the reality of the situation before the tournament even opened in suburban Toronto Wednesday. “If you look back into the men’s game, that’s when the gap closed,” …

PWHPA to launch new women’s pro hockey league for 2023-24 season: Source
1 year, 9 months ago

PWHPA to launch new women’s pro hockey league for 2023-24 season: Source

New York Times  

The players who make up the Professional Women’s Hockey Players’ Association have been told that a new pro league will be ready for the 2023-24 season, a PWHPA source told The Athletic. Walter got involved with the PWHPA back in May when the group entered into a formal relationship with Billie Jean King Enterprises and The Mark Walter Group to …

Is women's pro hockey nearing a breakthrough moment?
1 year, 9 months ago

Is women's pro hockey nearing a breakthrough moment?

LA Times  

Laura Stacey of Team Knight takes part in the Professional Women’s Hockey Players Assn. The PWHPA, which last year enlisted Billie Jean King’s investment and consulting firm and the group headed by Dodgers controlling owner Mark Walter to explore launching a new league, is poised to announce a six-team venture, according to a report recently aired by “Hockey Night in …

PWHPA eyes launching women’s pro hockey league by end of ’23
1 year, 9 months ago

PWHPA eyes launching women’s pro hockey league by end of ’23

Associated Press  

The Professional Women’s Hockey Player’s Association is finalizing plans with corporate sponsors to launch what would be North America’s second women’s pro league by the end of this year, a key stakeholder said Thursday. Jayna Hefford, who holds the title of PWHPA lead operations consultant, said it was premature to provide an exact date, but added: “We’re very much eyeing …

U.S.-Canada women's hockey rivalry needs more support to flourish
2 years ago

U.S.-Canada women's hockey rivalry needs more support to flourish

LA Times  

Cayla Barnes, right, celebrates with her teammates after scoring for the U.S. against Canada in the first period Monday at Crypto.com Arena. Dreams looked like the awestruck smiles of the kids wearing hockey jerseys and shirts and holding encouraging signs at Crypto.com Arena on Monday while the U.S. women’s hockey team faced Canada in the latest edition of one of …

PHF star Grant-Mentis ready for women’s hockey in Buffalo
2 years, 1 month ago

PHF star Grant-Mentis ready for women’s hockey in Buffalo

Associated Press  

BUFFALO, N.Y. — With a day and a half between hockey practices, Buffalo Beauts forward Mikyla Grant-Mentis was growing bored on the couch of her downtown apartment, when an odd thought struck her. After all, the main reason Grant-Mentis landed in Buffalo in the first place was to sign an $80,0000 one-year contract — one of the most lucrative in …

PWHPA sets Dream Gap Tour; with pro hockey league in works
2 years, 4 months ago

PWHPA sets Dream Gap Tour; with pro hockey league in works

Associated Press  

The Professional Women’s Hockey Players’ Association is resuming its Dream Gap barnstorming tour for a fourth consecutive year, while still developing plans to launch a professional league. The PWHPA in May reached an agreement with tennis great Billie Jean King and Los Angeles Dodgers chairman Mark Walter to work on establishing what would become North America’s second women’s pro hockey …

Proposed women’s hockey league teams with Billie Jean King
2 years, 6 months ago

Proposed women’s hockey league teams with Billie Jean King

Associated Press  

North America’s top women’s hockey players are teaming up with former tennis star Billie Jean King and Los Angeles Dodgers chairman Mark Walter to explore launching a pro league within the next year, a person with direct knowledge of the agreement told The Associated Press on Tuesday night. The PWHPA informed its members, who include U.S. and Canadian national team …

AP source: Women’s hockey talks between rivals break down
2 years, 8 months ago

AP source: Women’s hockey talks between rivals break down

Associated Press  

The Professional Women’s Hockey Players Association has decided to break off talks with the rival Premier Hockey Federation, the latest blow in a widening rift between two factions that contend they want to grow the sport in North America. Despite the NHL pushing for negotiations between the two sides, it has become clear over the past three years that the …

2 pro women’s hockey groups meet in bid to thaw relations
2 years, 9 months ago

2 pro women’s hockey groups meet in bid to thaw relations

Associated Press  

The Premier Hockey Federation is taking its playoffs to Florida this weekend, but not before making a latest attempt to mend fences with members of the Professional Women’s Hockey Players’ Association. The rival women’s hockey groups met in New York on Wednesday at the request of the NHL in hopes discussions could thaw relations in getting the two sides working …

Rift appears to widen between two women’s pro hockey groups
2 years, 9 months ago

Rift appears to widen between two women’s pro hockey groups

Associated Press  

Hockey Hall of Fame member Angela James opened what could become a widening rift between North America’s top two women’s professional hockey organizations on the eve of joining the new ownership group of the Premier Hockey Federation’s Toronto Six. “Women’s hockey is bigger than the PHF and the PWHPA, together we can make history.” James, a Six assistant coach this …

PWHPA inching closer to forming women’s pro hockey league
2 years, 9 months ago

PWHPA inching closer to forming women’s pro hockey league

Associated Press  

Talks with select NHL teams and major corporate sponsors have intensified in the Professional Women’s Hockey Players’ Association’s bid to form a league within the next year, two people with direct knowledge of discussions told The Associated Press. The establishment of a partially NHL-backed league attracting top international players would be considered a game-changer for women’s hockey. Canadian forward Brianne …

Sustaining women’s hockey growth still post-Olympics issue
2 years, 10 months ago

Sustaining women’s hockey growth still post-Olympics issue

Associated Press  

BEIJING — Speaking less than 24 hours apart over the final two days of the women’s Olympic hockey tournament, the two captains’ messages were emphatic, emotional and similar in their desire to grow the sport. “Obviously, there should be one league, like the NHL, for all of us to compete against the best players,” she added, suggesting Swiss league men’s …

PWHPA forging ahead without NHL backing of women’s hockey
3 years, 7 months ago

PWHPA forging ahead without NHL backing of women’s hockey

Associated Press  

The Professional Women’s Hockey Players’ Association is forging ahead with its bid to establish an economically sustainable professional league in North America with or — for now — without the NHL’s full financial backing. In response to a Sportsnet report that the NHL was not in a position to operate a women’s league for the foreseeable future, PWHPA executive Jayna …

NHL players voice support for launching women’s pro league
3 years, 9 months ago

NHL players voice support for launching women’s pro league

Associated Press  

Jason Spezza would have jumped at the opportunity to voice his support for women’s hockey even if he didn’t have four daughters growing up at home. “But it definitely hits more close to home for me with having four daughters and a wife, and women’s rights and talking about equality, which we talk about quite a a bit about in …

Secret gives $1M to women’s hockey players association
4 years, 2 months ago

Secret gives $1M to women’s hockey players association

Associated Press  

TORONTO — The Professional Women’s Hockey Players Association is receiving a $1 million boost from Secret Deodorant to continue its barnstorming Dream Gap Tour of games and relieve any financial uncertainties resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. The cash influx led to the PWHPA announcing its renamed Secret Dream Gap Tour will feature six events this winter, with players also competing …

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