NHL and PHF in talks over bringing leagues together, says report

• PHF has committed to investing US$25m into player salaries and benefits
• PWHPA members reportedly informed of ‘multimillion dollar funding deal’ to move forward with league

The National Hockey League (NHL) is meeting with leading organisations from women’s ice hockey to discuss the future of the female game, according to The Athletic.

The proposed gathering had initially been reported by Sportsnet’s Jeff Marek, who said that the NHL will sit down with the Professional Women’s Hockey Players Association (PWHPA) and the Premier Hockey Federation (PHF) in an attempt to ‘bring the two leagues together’.

It is unclear at this stage what the sides will discuss. According to The Athletic, the upcoming meeting is not expected to change the PWHPA’s goal of establishing a ‘truly professional’ women’s league in North America. The organisation has reportedly agreed to meet but, barring an unforeseen offer from the NHL, intends to continue with its own plans.

However, according to The Athletic, the PHF believes it is already providing what the PWHPA is seeking. Formerly billed as the National Women’s Hockey League (NWHL), the PHF announced in January that its board of governors will invest US$25 million into player salaries and benefits over the next three years. It represents the biggest one-time independent investment ever in professional women’s ice hockey and will see the player salary cap rise from US$300,000 to US$750,000 per team.

Earlier this week, the PHF also struck a strategic partnership with Octagon, which will see the sports marketing agency advise on overall growth, sponsorship sales, marketing and other platform development.

According to Marek, members of the PWHPA were also informed over the weekend of a ‘substantial, multimillion dollar’ funding deal that would allow its proposed league to move forward, adding that it sounded like ‘an eight to ten-year commitment’.

The prospect of the NHL forming its own women’s league, much like the National Basketball Association (NBA) has with the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA), appears remote when going off past form. Building, owning or operating a professional women’s competition under the NHL’s umbrella is reportedly not part of its business plan while there are two competing leagues in operation.