North America’s prime women’s hockey gamers are teaming up with previous tennis star Billie Jean King and Los Angeles Dodgers chairman Mark Walter to explore launching a professional league in the following calendar year, a particular person with immediate know-how of the arrangement explained to The Involved Push on Tuesday evening.
The human being spoke on the condition of anonymity because the Experienced Women’s Hockey Players’ Association only exposed the agreement all through a conference with its membership. The offer was very first reported by the Athletic.
The PWHPA informed its associates, who include U.S. and Canadian countrywide staff players, that it signed a letter of intent with Billie Jean King Enterprises and the Mark Walter Group to expand on the association’s effort and hard work to establish what would develop into North America’s second women’s professional league.
Facts of the proposed league have not however been finalized, though tentative options have the new league that includes six teams with players paid an average salary of $55,000.
The PWHPA would compete with the Premier Hockey Federation, which is coming into its eighth year.
The privately-backed PHF is increasing from 6 to 8 groups this season. It also upped its wage cap from $300,000 to $750,000 for each workforce, with Mikyla Grant-Mentis starting to be the league’s first $80,000 player just after signing a one particular-year deal with Buffalo this month.
The PWHPA was recognized in 2019 right after the Canadian Women’s Hockey League folded, and its users have balked at taking part in for the PHF, which was formerly referred to as the Nationwide Women’s Hockey League.
The partnership marks a significant move ahead for the PWHPA in its a few-yr pursuit to reach its vision in creating a feasible pro league with sustainable extended-term economic backing. The PWHPA has previously lured significant sponsors and corporate backing, such as 11 NHL franchises. It sought out the settlement with King and Walter since of their athletics-linked funding, operating and promoting experience.
BJK Enterprises is a girls-operate investment decision, consulting and internet marketing firm that retains stakes in numerous professional sports activities franchises including the Dodgers and WNBA’s Los Angeles Sparks.
King also has a relationship with the NHL immediately after the league partnered with the Billie Jean King Leadership Initiative to further more diversity in hockey in 2019. King is a pioneer in women’s sports activities who started the Women’s Tennis Affiliation in 1973.
Walter is the CEO of the world-wide fiscal firm Guggenheim Associates, which holds additional than $310 billion in property. He has owned the Dodgers because 2012, when Guggenheim obtained the team for $2.2 billion. He also has stakes in the Sparks and the Los Angeles Lakers and is component of an possession team trying to get to get Premier League soccer club Chelsea.
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