How public PWHL salary disclosure will affect negotiations this summer…and beyond
We are definitely in uncharted waters in the world of women’s hockey. No longer is it taboo for players to know what each other is making; now the same goes for the general public.
With the PWHL Players’ Association officially releasing player salaries for the 2025-26 season, we now have an idea of who the big dogs in the league are, based on their pay stubs. Players like Montreal Victoire captain Marie-Philip Poulin, Seattle Torrent captain Hilary Knight, Minnesota Frost captain Kendall Coyne Schofield and New York Sirens forward Sarah Fillier are among the highest-paid players in the league, with Ottawa Charge forward Emily Clark leading the league with a $126,090 cap hit.
However, the big question is now, how will that affect teams in the near future? How will that affect teams this summer as they negotiate new contracts, with so many unknowns heading into the off-season? Four additional teams are coming into the league, a revamped expansion roster-building process, and now public pressure on teams on how they pay certain players.
Player salary disclosure isn’t new to teams, players, or agents, as, through the PA, contracts have been made available to those parties for contract negotiations dating back to last year. One common misconception about the PWHL is that teams have a salary cap. Instead, teams are required to meet an average salary. Last year, PWHL’s salary average was $58,349.50, with that number fluctuating by up to 10% to accommodate new signings and other player movement, per the collective bargaining agreement. Next year, the number will rise to $60,099.99, according to Hailey Salvian of The Athletic. With 11 players making over $100,000, 45 players were paid less than $40,000. While that might be perceived as an ethical problem within itself, the new public information might push general managers to consider paying depth players a little bit more.
There are a number of athletes who certainly made a lot less money and maybe outperformed their cap hit. Players like Daryl Watts, who signed on for a two-year contract with the Toronto Scepters two years ago, with a cap hit of $59,000. A seemingly small number considering she was the top free agent in the PWHL. Many believe she signed mainly with Toronto to have the chance to play under then-Canada national team head coach Troy Ryan.
Now heading into a summer where she’s an unrestricted free agent once again, one has to think that Watts might receive a nice pay bump. Given the fact she scored more points than the likes of Boston Fleet forward Susanna Tapani, Sceptres teammate Blayre Turnbull and Charge forward Gabbie Hughes (who made $105,00 last year), Watts can certainly use her production as a point of leverage in negotiations. Even with Ryan no longer with the team, the Toronto native might want to stay at home, as a number of current Sceptres are destined to be on the move.
Watts is one of several players who could further utilize the public disclosure to their advantage. Rookie Abby Newhook surprised many with her play with the Fleet, finishing the season with 14 points in 29 games. She made a measly $40,000 in her first year in the league and is destined to make a lot more, especially since the league minimum is going to rise to $38,245.45 next year.
Sirens forward and rookie of the year finalist Casey O’Brien is certainly on pace to have a jump in her salary. After signing a one-year contract just a few days before the regular season, the reigning Patty Kazmaier Award winner went on to lead all first-year players with 22 points. That should be more than enough to give her a future salary greater than the $51,000 she made this past year.
Those players, along with Sceptres goaltender Raygan Kirk and Charge forward Fanuza Kadirova, can use their performances to raise their market value and potentially get paid more than their peers whom they’ve outplayed.
There’s one aspect that salary disclosure opens up – public criticism. With fans knowing how much each player makes, one can expect a wide range of opinions about how much a player is truly worth, given their performance in comparison to their cap hit. This is nothing new in the world of men’s hockey, as every contract is debated or scrutinized in the National Hockey League, for better or worse.
Clark’s contract was reported by others prior to last season, and it quickly received criticism after a relatively unproductive season. She only posted nine points during the regular season and none during Ottawa’s run to the Walter Cup Final. One might think she’s an overvalued player despite signing the contract after a career year in 2024-25, which helped the Charge reach the championship series for the first time last spring. Clark, who has one more year on her contract, will now have to meet the expectations that come with her top-notch salary.
Clark isn’t the only player who’s going to be under the microscope with these contracts out in the open. Teammate Jocelyne Larocque is the seventh-highest paid defender in the PWHL, making just under $87,000 last season. However, the aging blueliner has already received disdain for her play at times. Granted, her salary is part of the three-year contract she signed with Toronto prior to the inaugural season.
All this to say, the PWHLPA opened a can of worms that members of the media and fans have clamored for since the league’s onset. That said, it opens up a whole avenue of talking points among the public, along with other players around the PWHL.