PWHL Boosts Minimum Salaries to $42,000 Amid League Expansion

The Professional Women's Hockey League and its players' union reached a new deal on Thursday that raises pay and widens rosters before the start of the fourth season.

The agreement lifts the minimum annual base salary to $42,000 for the upcoming campaign. That figure is up from approximately $38,000 in the previous year. The salary floor will rise again to $45,000 next season. It will then increase by $2,500 each year for the remaining three years of the collective bargaining agreement. The minimum will reach $52,500 in the 2030-31 season. This growth outpaces the 3% annual increase that players negotiated when the league launched as a six-team entity in July 2023.

Teams will add one player to their active rosters, bringing the total to 24. This roster expansion coincides with the league adding four new franchises, increasing the total number of teams to 12. These changes create 104 additional roster spots compared to last season. The league is also altering how it manages reserve players. It is eliminating the allowance for up to three reserve players per team. Instead, clubs can now sign players to one-game standard contracts alongside the existing 10-day contracts.

The league and the PWHL Players Association stated in a joint release that they remain committed to collaborating on player opportunities and compensation. They cited the continued growth of professional women's hockey as a driver for the changes. Training camps are scheduled to open on Nov. 18. The season begins on Dec. 5.