On Jan. 17th, the PHF stated they were going to make an announcement on the morning of January 18th. A lot of fans, players, and teams sat and waited on bated breath. Not a lot of details were mentioned, just that an announcement was forthcoming. Oh my, was it worth the wait.
Providing more financial opportunities for athletes while directly enhancing the player experience.
— PHF (@PHF) January 18, 2022
Welcome to #TodaysPHF 👑 pic.twitter.com/S54koXkbFE
Elevating the Game to New Heights
This season, the PHF has already experienced some amazing changes. From broadcasting on ESPN+, an amazing equipment deal with Warrior hockey, and a trading card deal with Upper Deck, the glass ceiling was already well shattered, but the news yesterday topped it all. The PHF has received $25 million in investments for the betterment of the league. Of these investments, $7.5 million will be going directly to the players for salaries and benefits.
For the second season in a row, the PHF announced a raise in the team salary cap. This season, the team salary cap is set at $300,000, up from $150,000 last season. For the 2022-2023 season, the salary cap will be more than double to $750,000. This is a significant change that will greatly benefit the players in the league.
Additional Benefits of This Announcement
Not only is there a significant raise in salary, but this announcement also provided even more amazing benefits to the athletes of the PHF. Athletes in the PHF will now receive full health care benefits provided by their clubs. We all know how physical of a game hockey can be, health care is vital to performing well on the ice and continuing to perform their work duties off the ice.
Another amazing part of this announcement is that athletes in the PHF will now get 10% equity in each team allowing them to significantly benefit from the leagues’ success. What else can follow a benefit like that? How about giving PHF players control over their name and likeness? This move will allow PHF players to profit from the use of their name and likeness throughout various campaigns, further strengthening the support the league is showing for their athletes.
But Wait! There’s More!
So many great things in one announcement, exactly how could there be more? We were all asking the same thing, but the PHF did. not. disappoint. The final tidbit of information dropped yesterday? Two more teams will be entering the league. I promise you that you are reading that correctly. Two more PHF teams are preparing to join the league. This will grow the league from six teams to eight. Thankfully, we received the location of one of the two new franchises. Congratulations to Montréal! You will soon be home to the next PHF franchise. Although we do not yet know the location of the second franchise, we do know that it will be located in the United States.
So my hockey-loving friends, sound off in the comments. Where would you like to see the next PHF franchise?
Follow Beyond Women’s Sports for more from the world of the PHF. Beth Bolger is available on Twitter @WonderBeffers and you can follow her there.
