Something’s Gotta Give: When Will the CWHL Finally Pay Players?

Earlier this semester, I wrote a piece on Amanda Kessel’s NWHL signing. Kessel, currently the highest paid player in the league, turned down contract offers from the Canadian Women’s Hockey League, or CWHL, due to the fact that the league does not pay its players.

While to date, CWHL players are still not receiving salaries, there have been some interesting developments in the league that show that they are stepping in the right direction.

Late last month, CWHL Director of Communications Sasky Stewart announced that players will soon be receiving a percentage of the profits for each of their sold jerseys. Kaitlin Cimini of Today’s Slapshot reported this news, also reported that the league has offered no news about what percentage players will receive and when they will begin receiving the profits—a sullying detail, but not completely lacking promise.

Stewart, in an interview with Mike Brophy of NHL.com, stated that the CWHL hopes to begin paying players by the 2017-18 season, but also expressed the need to grow the game’s audience: “If everybody who watched Canada win a gold medal at the Olympic Games came out to see one of our games, we would not be having this discussion about paying the players.”

Statements like these, compared to the NWHL’s immediate decision to pay players before the inaugural season even started, beg the question: does the CWHL need to change their attitude about paying players?

And, if they do not, will players decide that they are tired of waiting and change their loyalties?

#nwhl #womenshockey #cwhl