The NHL has requested a meeting between the PHF and PWHPA–the two feuding women’s hockey factions–to attempt to bring the two sides together. Jeff Marek of Sportsnet reports that details of the proposed meeting are still being worked out, but the PWHPA was informed recently of a multi-million dollar funding deal, one that would be an 8-10 year commitment, that would allow their proposed league to move forward. Marek doesn’t specify where the funding is coming from.
The PHF meanwhile recently announced their own massive investment, a $25MM guarantee from several private donors. That led to a huge increase in the salary cap for each team, added health benefits for the players, and other increases throughout the financial landscape of the league. It also recently saw a group of high-profile investors purchase the Toronto Six, bringing more name recognition to the ownership group. The two leagues are currently splitting the player base, with the vast majority of the U.S. and Canadian Olympians on the side of the PWHPA.
- Bad news for the Ottawa Senators, as Thomas Chabot is expected to be out long-term with a hand injury. Bruce Garrioch of Postmedia notes that the team will have more information in the coming days, but Darren Dreger of TSN was told it is a broken hand. This comes after Jake Sanderson, the team’s top defense prospect, was also ruled out for at least a few weeks, which could put his late-season rendezvous with the Senators in jeopardy. After a midseason hot streak, the Senators are back to their losing ways of late, dropping their last three and eight of ten. Without Chabot, things certainly will be more difficult down the stretch. (UPDATE: Senators head coach D.J. Smith confirmed today that Chabot has suffered a broken hand and will miss the rest of the season.)
- Back in 2020, a new 3-on-3 league called 3ICE was announced with many recognizable NHL players and coaches attached to the product. While the COVID-19 pandemic put many of the league’s plans on pause, it didn’t kill it completely. 3ICE will be back this summer and today they announced some of their first few signings. Sean Shapiro of The Athletic tweets that David Booth, Chris Bourque, Chris Conner, T.J. Hensick, and Aaron Palushaj are the first five players that will be drafted into what will be a six-team league. All five played in the NHL, with Booth even scoring 31 goals and 60 points during the 2008-09 season with the Florida Panthers.
PHF: We should play and sell tickets and build our league from the ground up!
PWHPA: F(orget) that! Let’s just call everyone sexist until they give us what we want and never explain why we are doing what we are doing anyway!
The funny thing is that IF (this is the big, key if) the NHL could build a women’s league based on the actual economics and reality as it stands nows, they would probably do it.
BUT, they (I believe) understand that they could build a WNHL from scratch and hand it to these women and…
A) It would look almost identical to the PHF (except for the goofy league name).
B) It still wouldn’t be good enough and all it would take is one random tweet about how the NHL is sexist because the women don’t make the exact same money the men make and then they’d either have to DRASTICALLY overpay (relative to market value) these women or end up being flogged for their good faith effort to help the women’s game.
It’s a trap.
Their unreasonable and cynical willingness to exploit cries of discrimination instead of acknowledging economic reality is the single biggest obstacle to their own goal…and yet, it’s their plan.
Maybe they will guilt enough sponsors into building The Kotex League, but I’d bet it, too, will look a lot like the PHF.
PS- 3 on 3 with David Booth? This is also not a super viable plan, either. A 3 on 3 league could work, but…
You have way too much faith in the NHL. They can’t can’t run their own league well.
Holy cow, I agree with Josh on something! :0
These womens leagues may find out that even the wokest of corporations aren’t keen on investing in a no return venture.