Embarking on a long journey, the anticipation for a new reality was too great to contain.
Canadian Olympians Sarah Nurse, Blayre Turnbull, and Renata Fast have officially signed three-year contracts with the Toronto franchise of the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) until the 2025-26 season. This new development brings immense excitement to the players and marks a significant milestone for women’s hockey.
While the exact salary figures were undisclosed, it is known that annual salaries in the PWHL will range from $35,000 to $80,000. Nurse, Turnbull, and Fast were integral parts of Canada’s success, winning gold at the 2022 Beijing Olympics and silver at the 2018 Games in Pyeongchang, South Korea.
“It’s truly remarkable to see how far we’ve come and finally have a professional league where we can thrive and sign with a major market team like Toronto,” expressed Fast with sheer astonishment.
The PWHL aims to sign a minimum of six players on each of its six teams to three-year contracts worth no less than $80,000 per year. Another groundbreaking development is the establishment of an eight-year collective bargaining agreement, addressing past shortcomings in previous leagues.
Nurse shared, “There were times when we traveled with our hockey gear and sticks on our laps or in the aisles of buses. It’s the little things that add up, like having proper locker rooms for visiting teams in our arenas, instead of changing in hallways or lobbies.”
For Nurse, Turnbull, and Fast, this is their first experience with free agency, where they had the opportunity to negotiate for themselves and prioritize their own needs.
Turnbull explained, “Being a part of free agency forces you to separate the personal from the business and prioritize yourself, which is not something we’re accustomed to doing.”
The Toronto franchise’s general manager, Gina Kingsbury, who previously worked with the players as the general manager of the Canadian women’s team, expressed her confidence in their abilities and leadership. Kingsbury stated, “I couldn’t have asked for three better players to build a franchise around. I believe this group can lead the team to a championship.”
Kingsbury also revealed that the team is close to announcing its inaugural head coach for the upcoming season, as they have extended a contract offer to a candidate. The recent signings by the Toronto franchise follow Ottawa’s PWHL team signing Emily Clark, Brianne Jenner, and Emerance Maschmeyer, all fellow Canadian national team members.
Furthermore, the PWHL’s financial backer, Mark Walter, who is the majority owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers, has acquired the rival Premier Hockey Federation. His group is also negotiating a collective bargaining agreement with the Professional Women’s Hockey Players’ Association.
Nurse reflected on the unique experience of the new league and the PWHPA, stating, “It was a truly remarkable opportunity to spread the message of women’s hockey across North America, particularly to markets that don’t typically receive it in professional sports.”
In January, the PWHL will begin its inaugural season with teams in Ottawa, Toronto, Montreal, Boston, Minneapolis-St. Paul, and New York City.
© 2023 The Canadian Press
Denial of responsibility! Vigour Times is an automatic aggregator of Global media. In each content, the hyperlink to the primary source is specified. All trademarks belong to their rightful owners, and all materials to their authors. For any complaint, please reach us at – [email protected]. We will take necessary action within 24 hours.
