A new North American professional women’s hockey league looks to be on its way.
According to multiple reports, the Mark Walter Group acquired “certain assets” of the Premier Hockey Federation on Thursday. The Associated Press is also reporting that, as a result, a new league is projected to launch in January.
Mark Walter is a co-owner of Major League Baseball’s Los Angeles Dodgers. Alongside Billie Jean King Enterprises, the firm got a letter of intent signed by the Professional Women’s Hockey Players’ Association in 2022 and the sides have been working on a bid to launch their own league for the past 14 months.
The PWHPA certified as a union this spring and has completed negotiations on a collective bargaining agreement. A 62-page CBA was presented to PWHPA members on Thursday night, and they will have until Sunday night to ratify it and the new league’s constitution, a person with direct knowledge of the agreement told The Associated Press.
In the meantime, PHF players’ existing contracts have reportedly been voided, though an agreement is in place to pay those under contract a portion of their salary through September. Some players are losing out on contracts they signed worth more than $150,000 over two seasons.
CBC Sports has not independently confirmed the reports.
The PWHPA rose from the collapse of the Canadian Women’s Hockey League in 2019 after 12 years.
The association has since barnstormed across North America in Dream Gap Tour tournaments and games.
The players’ goal is a sustainable league that pays a living wage and offers the competitive supports the male pros get.
PWHPA membership hasn’t joined the seven-team PHF, which has teams in Toronto and Montreal. The Toronto Six won this year’s PHF championship Isobel Cup. Each PHF team played a 24-game regular season.
WATCH | Toronto Six win 2023 Isobel Cup:
The Toronto Six captured its first championship title, the Isobel Cup, after three years in the Premier Hockey Federation, a women’s professional ice hockey league. Players are hoping the trophy will shine a light on women’s hockey.
While the PHF has made strides in the professionalization of women’s hockey, including the doubling of next season’s salary cap to $1.5 million per team, PWHPA players maintain they have a different vision for a women’s pro league.
The PHF — which will reportedly cease operations — was set to enter its ninth season before Thursday’s deal.
The PWHPA has almost 100 members listed on its website, including the majority of the Canadian women’s hockey team.
Half the U.S. women’s roster at the 2023 world championship, including star Hilary Knight, are also PWHPA members.
WATCH | Professional women’s hockey struggles to take hold:
Grassroots girls hockey has grown exponentially in recent years but professional women’s hockey has struggled to take hold. Experts say there is potential for a league to thrive if it is approached the right way.