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

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 North American women’s professional hockey — so that she didn’t need to support herself elsewhere like during her first two Premier Hockey Federation seasons in Toronto. If I want a pair of shoes, I’ll get a pair of shoes.” And yet, Grant-Mentis appreciates what her contract represents in the larger scope of women’s hockey, becoming the face of a Beauts team that finished last a year ago and won just seven of 26 games over the past two seasons. Suit me up and I’ll be there.” As for the bigger picture, Grant-Mentis knows of the struggles many of her predecessors endured in having their contracts slashed midseason, not being reimbursed for travel expenses and having to pay for their own sticks and tape in the formerly known National Women’s Hockey League. Most revolve around the rift between the PHF and Professional Women’s Hockey Players’ Association, whose members are mostly made up of U.S. and Canadian national team players.