The Premier Hockey Federation will double its salary cap to $1.5 million for the 2023-24 season, the league announced Wednesday.

The salary cap has increased tenfold since 2021, when it stood at $150,000. For the 2022-23 season, the cap is set at $750,000.

The rising figures reflect the rising tide of the PHF and of women’s hockey, commissioner Reagan Carey said in a press release.

“We will not stop here, and are very proud to continue our track record of establishing new records for women’s professional hockey,” Carey said. “The PHF was the first league to pay its players back in 2015, and our commitment to building the best home for women’s professional hockey requires us to continue leading the way forward.”

At the start of 2022, the league committed $25 million in direct payments and benefits to players over the next three years. Also in 2022, the league expanded from six teams to seven with the addition of the Montreal Force.

For the 2022-23 season, PHF teams are required to spend at least 75 percent of the cap ($562,500), and all teams have exceeded that floor.

“We are doing the work, and we are seeing the results,” Carey said.

The Premier Hockey Federation is back.

While the Boston Pride kicked off their title defense in style with a 4-0 win over Connecticut, expansion team Montreal got their first win in their first-ever game.

With a lot of movement, and some significant roster turnover, in the offseason, teams look different than they did last year. The front office does, too. PHF commissioner Reagan Carey was appointed in April and has since brought on familiar faces like U.S. Olympians Kacey Bellamy and Brianna Decker as well as long-time Team Canada manager Melody Davidson.

This as the league implemented its new $750,000 salary cap, which was announced in January. As a result, Mikyla Grant-Mentis signed the largest professional contract for a women’s hockey player at a record $80,000 for the upcoming season. A multitude of other stars will earn at least $50,000 this season.

“I think it’s a very exciting time with the PHF as salaries continue to increase,” said Toronto Six captain Shiann Darkangelo. “We’ve seen different dollar amounts with girls playing overseas, in China, things like that. But to see it here in North America is huge.”

A new, two-year broadcasting deal with ESPN was also announced in the offseason. In all, Carey told The Athletic that it’s a “new era” for the league.

“Everybody’s excited about the increase in the salary cap,” she said. “We’re all on the same page knowing that’s a huge step forward, but it’s nothing that we’re resting on.”

“Having a broadcast partner like ESPN certainly helps us in a lot of areas, whether it’s just fan involvement, and fan retention, as well as sponsorship and just being able to share the great stories that are within the PHF.”

On Saturday, the Toronto Six and Boston Pride both sold out their home openers, a sign of growth for the league beyond expansion.

New expansion team Montreal kicked off their inaugural season in style, with a shootout win over the Boston Pride.

While Montreal is the lone expansion team this season – after it was announced previously that there would be two teams being added to the league – they certainly won’t be the last. Carey said that the league is exploring expansion. They join other major women’s leagues, like the WNBA and the NWSL, as women’s sports continues to experience unprecedented growth.

“The exciting part of being in women’s sports right now is that (it) used to be a phone call out to people to see who might be interested,” Carey said. “Now, we’re seeing the calls come in, and the interest comes to us in a lot of markets that weren’t on our radar even in April.”

The Premier Hockey Federation announced Monday its official schedule for the upcoming 2022-23 season.

The eighth season in league history will feature a record 84 games, which will be played over 19 weeks beginning on Saturday, Nov. 5. Each of the league’s seven teams will play a total of 24 games, 12 at home and 12 away, with four matchups against each opponent.

“We are excited to usher in this new era of the PHF as we launch this 2022-23 season with milestones that show our growth including a greater regular season schedule, expansion to seven teams, a historical salary cap increase, enhanced player benefits, upgraded facilities, and elevated broadcast opportunities with ESPN,” commissioner Reagan Carey said. “For our sport, for the athletes, our fans, and partners, we are committed to advancing women’s professional ice hockey and building the best home for women’s professional ice hockey.

“We look forward to strengthening connections with passionate fans in our traditional markets and in new communities across North America, while growing our worldwide broadcast audience through our extended relationship with ESPN.”

The Boston Pride, who have won back-to-back Isobel Cup championships, will face off against the Connecticut Whale, their opponent in last season’s final, in the opening weekend. The Pride will host the Metropolitan Riveters the following day.

The Montreal Force will make their debut as the league’s lone expansion team this season against Buffalo. They will then make their home debut on Nov. 26 at Centre 21.02 against the Riveters. In their opening season, the Force will play around Quebec in the following arenas:

  • Aréna Raymond-Bourque, Montreal
  • Aréna Conrad-Parent, Sept-Îles
  • Colisée Financière Sun Life, Rimouski
  • Centre Premier Tech, Rivière-du-Loup
  • Aréna régional de la Rivière-du-Nord, Saint-Jérôme
  • Pavillon de la jeunesse, Québec

Three of the league’s teams will play in new locations this season. Connecticut will play at the International Skating Center of CT, Minnesota at the Richfield Ice Arena and the Riveters at The Rink at American Dream.

This year’s PHF All-Star game will take place the weekend of Jan. 27-29. The 2023 Isobel Cup Playoffs will begin in March, with more information to be announced at a later date.

The 84 total games mark an increase over the 60 played during the 2021-22 season. Nine games will be played on Friday nights.

Live coverage of the season will stream exclusively on ESPN+, with the league announcing an extension on that partnership earlier this year.

Hockey players are coming together to spotlight what Olympic gold medalist Sarah Nurse calls the “rich history” of Black players in the game, as well as the racial disparities that have plagued the sport for decades.

The new documentary “Black Ice,” which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival this week, details the story of the Colored Hockey League of the Maritimes, a league founded in Nova Scotia in 1895, as well as the current state of the sport for Black players.

The film is produced by Drake, LeBron James and Maverick Carter and directed by Hubert Davis.

“We’re in an interesting place, where we can say, ‘OK, are we going to actually address this stuff and talk about it and deal with it?’” Davis told Hollywood Reporter. “Or are we just going to stay within our bubble? A lot of people are facing that choice at the moment.”

The voices of women’s hockey players play an important role in the documentary.

“I think there’s so much rich history with Black players playing the game and I think that’s going to be really showcased,” said Nurse, who stars for the Canadian women’s national team and features in the film. “But also to highlight some current players, obviously, is huge.”

Another player involved in the documentary is Saroya Tinker, a defender for the Toronto Six of the Premier Hockey Federation and an advocate for Black women in hockey.

Tinker experienced racism in the locker room at a young age, and it took her up until the last year to finally be herself within the sport, she revealed in an interview with TSN.

“I feel like I’ve really come into my own and been able to be my full self on the ice and outside of the rink,” she said. “It was a challenge growing up and having to put a piece of my Blackness aside to fit in, but at the same time we’re being unapologetic about who we are now.”

The 24-year-old contemplated leaving the sport after college, but she realized how many young girls looked up to her and hope to follow in her footsteps. She wants to make the sport better for them and to “be that role model for them.”

She thinks the film could drive uncomfortable conversations that will lead to accountability in the sport of hockey.

“Growing up, my biggest problem was that nobody was being held accountable when these situations came up,” she said. “I’m very excited about the future…I see people wanting to be allies and sticking up for their counterparts.

“We’re opening up the door for conversation and things will improve from there.”

The Metropolitan Riveters will play their home games at the American Dream mall for the next three years, the PHF team announced Wednesday.

The retail complex in East Rutherford, New Jersey, features a regulation-size ice rink that will serve as the Riveters’ home ice for all practices and games for the next three seasons. It’s located near an indoor water park, a Ferris wheel and a number of retail stores.

The team practiced at the rink last season but played its games at the New Jersey Devils’ practice facility.

“After practicing at American Dream, it felt like the perfect time to take that partnership to the next level,” Riveters captain Madison Packer said in a news release. “American Dream is committed to growing the game and supporting female athletes, and I am beyond excited to call the complex home for many years to come.”

What’s good about the new location?

Undoubtedly, more eyes are always a plus when it comes to growing the women’s game. Holding games in a mall, where those eyes are almost guaranteed, is certainly one way to achieve that goal.

The rink has the capacity for as many as 2,000 fans, which represents an increase from the maximum capacity of 1,000 at the Barnabas Health Hockey House, the team’s previous home. The Riveters plan to start with 1,000 seats for each game near the rink on the first floor, Sportico reported, but they’ll have room to grow.

Premium seating is also expected to be available on the second floor of the mall, with tickets that would include food, merchandise and meet-and-greets, per ESPN.

The third floor will be open to pedestrians and onlookers, who won’t buy tickets but will be able to sample the game.

“There’s the opportunity to spread excitement among people who didn’t know they were going to have a hockey experience when they woke up that morning,” Frank Supovitz, a fan experience consultant for the Riveters, told ESPN.

“We’re not going to be kicking people out for watching the game, especially because our No. 1 priority is to expose the game [to new fans],” team president Digit Murphy said.

What’s potentially not so great about the venue?

Opting to allow people to watch games without paying is certainly a choice – and the economics of that decision will play out over the course of the next season.

Also, the rink currently does not feature any seats. The Riveters will set up 1,000 for each game, Sportico reported, but exactly what that will look like remains to be seen.

Players could promote shops inside the mall or participate in on-ice fashion shows, Murphy suggested to ESPN.

Many PHF players have to take on other jobs in order to play the game they love, so sponsorships could help them – but the idea and the optics seems to run at odds with a league aiming to put itself in line with other professional leagues across sports.

What’s more: The mall has been missing debt payments since the COVID-19 pandemic hit. Twice, operations group Triple Five Group has failed to make its quarterly $125,000 payment. A recent Wall Street Journal article floated the idea that the mall has struggled to become financially viable. The town of East Rutherford has even retained legal counsel to consider its options over the unpaid $5.4 million in sewer fees and missed payments.

“I hate to see the project go under or go bankrupt, it does employ a lot of people down there,” East Rutherford Mayor Jeffrey Lahullier said.

The Montreal Force announced Tuesday that two-time Olympic gold medalist Peter Smith will serve as the first head coach for the PHF expansion team.

Smith served as an assistant coach for the Canadian women’s hockey team at the 2006 and 2010 Olympics. He will be assisted by Pierre Alain and Katia Clement-Heydra.

“This is a huge moment for this team as we prepare for our first season together,” team president Kevin Raphaël said. “The leadership across this group is strong, their experience is second to none, and what excites me the most is how hungry they are for competition.

“Peter is one of the greatest hockey minds in Canadian women’s hockey history, Pierre is a hardworking man who believes in our mission, and Katia is quickly climbing the coaching ladder with her unique player’s perspective. I’m proud of this coaching staff and trust them to accomplish our on-ice and off-ice goals.”

Smith joins the Force from Montreal’s McGill University, where he served as head coach for 20 seasons and became the winningest women’s hockey coach in program history. He also helped the team to four national championships and served as a coaching mentor before retiring in May 2021.

As an assistant coach for Team Canada, he not only won gold at the 2006 and 2010 Winter Games but also the 2007 and 2009 IIHF Women’s World Championships.

“I am thrilled to have the opportunity to coach La Force de Montréal,” Smith said. “Having a professional women’s hockey team in the city and representing the entire province is exciting for both players and fans alike. We have a great group of talented players and a terrific organization starting with very supportive ownership. I am really looking forward to the upcoming season.”

Alain, meanwhile, joins the team after eight seasons at the helm of the Carleton University women’s hockey program.

Clement-Heydra joins the team from McGill, where she served as Smith’s associate coach for the 2021-22 season. She also was a two-time national champion as a player while starring for the university.

She played in four CWHL seasons with Les Canadiennes of Montreal, and she won the 2017 Clarkson Cup title with the team.

“I am really thrilled to have these coaches on board, it’s a good mix of experience,” Force forward Ann-Sophie Bettez said. “I can’t wait to have Peter as a head coach. He knows the game so well and will teach us so much. With his structure, discipline, and experience, we are beyond lucky to have him as the leader of the Force.”

The team boasts 16 signed players, with more to be announced in the coming weeks.

The Premier Hockey Federation’s Montreal expansion team announced its name Tuesday, introducing itself as the Montreal Force.

Also unveiled were the team’s logo and jerseys for the upcoming 2022-23 season.

The name, according to the team’s news release, is meant to be symbolic of the facets of its identity: strong character, impactful presence in their community, and fierceness on the ice.

The team colors are maroon, black and white, with a logo in the shape of the letter F, which features a fleur-de-lis embedded in the crest.

“We wanted a powerful name to distinguish ourselves in this amazing hockey market and represent who we are across the women’s sports landscape,” team president Kevin Raphael said. “We are a force, both on and off the ice, with strong and confident women who will showcase their strength in all facets from competition to community involvement.

“We are a family of difference makers and role models who will make our province proud.”

There will be three different uniform sets, one white, one red and one black. The symbol of Quebec will feature on one sleeve, while a Montreal Force wordmark will decorate the other. The logo was designed by Lucas Daitchman and Brendan Poe.

While they have yet to announce the sites of their home games, the Force did announce Tuesday that Montreal, Gatineau, Québec, Rimouski, Riviere-du-Loup, Saint Jerome and Sept-Iles are among those in consideration for hosting.

In total, the team has signed 16 players so far.

“Together with my teammates, we are all very excited and proud to make history as members of the Montreal Force,” forward Ann-Sophie Bettez said. “Putting the jersey on for the first time was a special feeling I will never forget. We are all very motivated for this season to showcase what we can do in the PHF and to represent Quebec while connecting with fans in communities all over the province.”

Brianna Decker is joining the Premier Hockey Federation in a part-time advisory role, the league announced Friday.

Widely regarded as one of the best players in the world, Decker is a longtime member of Team USA. She played in the Beijing Olympics but broke her leg and tore ligaments in her ankle during the group stage. She has not played since then, having gone through a lengthy recovery process following surgery.

“Brianna Decker is a one-of-a-kind proven leader on and off the ice,” PHF commissioner Reagan Carey said in a statement. “Her commitment to development has earned her the title of one of the best players in the world, but it’s her dedication to sharing her time, knowledge, and experience with the next generation that makes her such a valuable and respected member of the women’s hockey landscape.

“She has won at every level of the sport, and we’re excited to have her competitive drive onboard with the PHF.”

With the PHF, Decker is looking at her future off the ice, and she told The Athletic on Friday that her on-ice future is up in the air. She recently turned down an invite to the U.S. training camp ahead of the 2022 IIHF Women’s World Championship, which began Thursday in Denmark.

“I just needed more time mentally and physically from everything that I went through in the spring,” she told The Athletic. “From a playing standpoint, I’ve just been taking time away. Not necessarily being done. Not necessarily saying, ‘Yes, I’m back.’”

In her role with the PHF as team and player development advisor, she will focus on elevating the training, competition and overall league standards while working as a liaison between the league and its players and coaches. She joins former Team USA teammate Kacey Bellamy, who works as a scout and player relations liaison.

Decker also was a member of Team USA when Carey was the general manager for the team.

Decker says that the addition of Carey as commissioner was a selling point for her in joining the league’s front office. Additionally, while she thinks that the PWHPA “has a great vision,” she decided to help make the PHF better.

“(Reagan) brought our U.S. program from where we were to winning an Olympic gold medal,” Decker said. “And so I know her insight and her vision when it comes to (growing the women’s game) is great. We connected and I was like, ‘I want to get involved somehow.’

“I think it’s just been a little bit of a standstill with the PWHPA, and if I have an opportunity to help grow our game, grow the professional women’s hockey game in any way, I am going to do it. This role with the PHF is giving me that opportunity to help out, and so that’s why I jumped on it.”

The PHF announced Wednesday that it has extended its deal with ESPN, which will keep the league on ESPN networks through the 2023-24 season.

The league also announced two more front office hires Friday: Marissa Halligan will serve as the lead operations director, while Nichole Bargo will serve as director of finance.

The Premier Hockey Federation’s Montreal expansion team announced Monday that it has signed its first seven players.

Six forwards and one defender have all committed to the team, including:

  • Ann-Sophie Bettez, F
  • Kim Deschênes, F
  • Jade Downie-Landry, F
  • Alexandra Labelle, F
  • Sarah Lefort, F
  • Kristina Shanahan, F
  • Brigitte Laganière, D

“This is a very exciting step forward for the foundation of the PHF in Montreal and across the province of Quebec,” team president Kevin Raphaël said in a statement. “This group is a great mix of exuberant youth and veteran experience, players with character, and who have led their previous teams to success. This is the start of a team that is going to be willing to work hard every week to win games and be role models for the next generation. We’re not just building a hockey team, we’re building a family, and I’m extremely proud.”

All seven players have connections to Montreal and the surrounding area, with three having played for Les Canadiennes de Montreal of the defunct Canadian Women’s Hockey League. Bettez, Deschênes and Lefort all played together on the CWHL team, winning a Clarkson Cup in 2017.

Bettez is the team’s most experienced signing, having played professionally for 10 seasons. She was the CWHL Rookie of the Year in 2013 and was the league’s top scorer one season later. A member of Team Canada during the 2019 IIHF Women’s World Championship, she’s also a bronze medalist and has spent the last three seasons playing in the Professional Women’s Hockey Player Association.

Deschênes also has also spent the last three seasons in the PWHPA. She was a member of the CWHL’s Montreal team from 2014-19. Lefort, meanwhile, was an eighth overall pick in the 2015 NWHL Draft and joined the CWHL’s Canadiennes after a standout career at Boston University. She has also spent the last three seasons with the PWHPA. The other player with PWHPA experience is Labelle.

Downie-Landry, Laganière and Shanahan, meanwhile, are all beginning their professional careers with Montreal.

Downie-Landry has spent the past seasons playing at McGill University for the Martlets. Laganière, the team’s lone defensive signing thus far, recently helped the Concordia University Stingers to their first U Sports national title since 1999 and was named a First-Team All-Canadian player after tallying three goals and 14 assists through 15 games.

Shanahan capped off five years at the University of Vermont by leading the team to its most successful season ever with 22 wins. She had 16 goals and 17 assists through 34 games for the squad that also earned a spot in the national rankings.

Terms of each contract will not be disclosed.

Several Premier Hockey Federation stars will earn at least $50,000 for the upcoming season under the newly expanded salary cap, the league announced Thursday.

The salary details were revealed as part of a new salary disclosure policy agreed upon by the PHF and the PHF Players’ Association as part of the league’s “ongoing commitment to supporting its players and providing greater transparency,” the PHF said in its news release.

Players have the option to allow the public disclosure of their salary for the 2022-23 season. A total of 71 players have signed with teams in the PHF to date, and 18 players have agreed to disclose their salaries publicly.

Of those 18 players, Buffalo Beauts defender Dominique Kremer sets the benchmark for highest salary with a $65,000 AAV on a two-year contract. Beauts defender Jess Healey, Connecticut Whale defender Allie Munroe and Minnesota Whitecaps forward Jonna Curtis also will earn at least $50,000 for the upcoming season.

“This is another important step forward in the PHF’s growth and development and reflects the collaboration we value between league leadership, our athletes, the Players’ Association, the Board of Governors and general managers,” PHF commissioner Reagan Carey said in a statement. “The PHF’s new era is driven by our commitment to provide enhanced professional opportunities for women’s hockey players that includes historic salary cap increases. We are excited to add another layer of growth and transparency to our league operations and to continue to prioritize player autonomy.

“This policy supports all athletes equally and without any pressure or influence towards those who may choose to disclose their salaries, or anybody who may feel that confidentiality is in their best interest.”

The salary cap for the 2022-23 season is a record $750,000 per team. Back in May, Mikyla Grant-Mentis signed the largest professional contract for a women’s hockey player at a record $80,000 for the upcoming season, though the salary was not confirmed by the PHF.

Under the new salary disclosure policy, players also can opt to disclose the length of their contracts, estimated annual values and signing bonuses. This marks the first year in which players can sign two-year contracts with the PHF.

“We thoroughly discussed this issue among our player reps to canvas all potential benefits and drawbacks from the player’s perspective, and are encouraged by the collaborative process with Reagan and the League that led to this outcome,” PHFPA executive director Nicole Corriero said in a statement.

“Transparency of salaries can help set industry benchmarks and assist others with their own negotiation process, however every player’s experience and circumstance is unique, and it is understood and appreciated that not everyone wants nor benefits from disclosing personal information,” Corriero continued. “We wanted to work with the League on a policy that encourages and respects both of these mutually important considerations, and we’re pleased that the result of our collaboration provides options that may benefit all.”

The players who have agreed to disclose their salaries so far include:

  • Hannah Bates (CTW) — $25,000
  • Ashleigh Brykaliuk (MIN) — $45,000
  • Amanda Conway (CTW) — $40,000, includes $4,000 signing bonus
  • Jonna Curtis (MIN) — $50,000
  • Taylor Davison (TOR) — $23,360
  • Emilie Harley (MET) — $28,000
  • Jess Healey (BUF) — $57,000 AAV, includes $6,000 signing bonus
  • Tori Howran (CTW) — $49,500 AAV
  • Carly Jackson (TOR) — $29,375
  • Dominique Kremer (BUF) — $65,000 AAV, includes $6,500 signing bonus
  • Antonia Matzka (BUF) — $22,000
  • Allie Munroe (CTW) — $52,800 AAV, includes $10,560 signing bonus
  • Madi Nichols (BUF) — $13,500
  • Liz Schepers (MIN) — $45,000
  • Emma Vlasic (CTW) — $36,000
  • Alyssa Wohlfeiler (CTW) — $42,500
  • Emma Woods (TOR) — $44,340
  • Taylor Woods (TOR) — $31,145

“As the league continues to grow and move forward, I think it’s important that we take steps to emulate other professional sports leagues to show that the PHF is here to stay,” said Kremer, who also serves as the players’ association rep for the Beauts. “One way to do that is by disclosing the monumental increases in salaries for PHF players.

“Not only does it prove to people that the PHF is striding towards making professional women’s hockey a full time career, but also gives that younger generation of girls something to work towards for their future.”