2023-07-04 20:03:00
BROSSARD, QC – Whenever Marie-Philip Poulin was asked regarding the development of a possible professional women’s hockey league, she repeated that it was coming.
On Tuesday, she was relieved to finally be able to be more specific in her answer.
“There, I can finally say it. It’s going to be in January,” said Poulin, on the sidelines of his participation in the Montreal Canadiens development camp.
Members of the Professional Women’s Hockey Association (PWHPA) on Sunday ratified a collective agreement with investors in the future league. This step paves the way for the launch of the circuit in January 2024.
The other pivotal moment came last week, when Los Angeles Dodgers president Mark Walter, one of the new league’s investors, bought out the Premier Hockey Federation (PHF), a rival seven-team league, especially in Toronto and Montreal.
Former tennis player Billie Jean King will serve on the new league’s board of directors.
“The PWHPA is happy to put this in place not only for us, but also so that little girls can dream of being part of this league,” said Poulin, player development consultant at the Canadiens. We finally have the right people in place and it’s happening at the right time. »
The collective agreement will come into effect on August 1 and will be valid until July 31, 2031.
“We wanted a collective agreement and to have the necessary resources to be paid properly,” said Poulin, a three-time Olympic gold medalist with the Canadian team. We wanted to have physiotherapists, doctors, all the infrastructure of a professional league. »
Poulin said the goal of the future league was to allow players to live off their passion without having to find another job to make ends meet.
Salaries are expected to range between US$35,000 and $80,000. Several benefits will also be offered to the players, including a pension fund and health and life insurance.
“We won’t be paid millions of dollars, we are aware of that,” said Poulin. But if we can get enough money to live off hockey, why not? »
Poulin believes that the investors are sufficiently committed to the project for it to become viable in the long term.
She also hopes to see people rallying around women’s hockey in the six cities where teams will be established.
“We don’t compare ourselves to men’s hockey,” she insisted. The game is different. There are no checks, but when people see the speed of the game and see that it’s best once morest best, they’re going to get on board. »
However, there will not be only winners with the launch of this new league. The members of the PWHPA were not part of the PHF and players who evolved in this circuit will find themselves unemployed.
“We want women’s hockey to be a professional sport, but the world of professional sport is not easy,” Poulin said. You have to fight for your job every day. Unfortunately, not everyone will be able to play in the league. Some players will graduate from university and will not be able to carve out a place with a team. But maybe the following year, they will be able to steal the place from an experienced player. »
“That’s how it works in the NHL, in professional sports. We are aware that this will be the reality of a professional women’s league and we will see how things play out in January. »
The PWHPA was founded following the collapse of the Canadian Women’s Hockey League. Its members refused to join the PHF and its previous version, the NWHL, since these leagues did not reach a professional standard, according to them.
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