More than a dozen players who were signed to PHF contracts last season or this offseason have signed in Europe. It's welcomed relief for the hundreds of women poised to lose their jobs.
When the 2023 offseason commenced, roster spots disappeared at a rapid pace across the PHF. Now, with the prospect of six teams in a single professional league, decreasing the total eligible roster spots by roughly 115 in North America, roster spots are again on the forefront of many discussions.
As the new professional women's hockey league continues planning to select markets, design a draft and player evaluation system, choose a league name, and building branding for their franchises, the number of women who will lose their jobs has shrunk by a handful, and will continue to shrink as more players look for roster security in Europe.
Of the NCAA and USports players initially signed to play in the PHF this season, Emily Rickwood, Emma Seitz, Anneke Linser, Naomi Rogge, and Lauren Dabrowski have already inked contracts in Sweden.
PHF veterans including Taylor House, Eveliina Mäkinen, Ebba Berglund, Reka Debasi, Leah Marino, Anna Kilponen, Antonia Matzka, and Jenna Suokko have also signed in Europe, some before the PHF's acquisition, others after.
The signing of Anna Kilponen was the first veteran departure who was a likely candidate to earn a roster spot in the new league. Emma Seitz, a two-time ECAC Defender of the Year and All-American from Yale was another player certain to earn a spot, while other players would have been fighting for roster spots.
Whether they were locks or bubble players, more than a dozen players already departing for Europe eases the losses from the new league, which is predicted to put more than 130 professional women's hockey players out of work next year if they launch in a six team format.
Last season the PWHPA had 97 members, while 161 players suited up in the PHF. This offseason, that number grew as 40 new players had signed in the PHF, and another 10 NCAA grads with national team experience were likely headed to the PWHPA. That's more than 300 players for the 138 roster spots, plus a handful of reserve roles per team. For the massive pool of players hoping to secure a roster spot, any signings overseas is one less player competing for a spot this year.
While other moves are certain to come, the main focus on player attrition from the current pool is rumored to be coming from European players who can more easily move back to their home nations to play, albeit at a far lower level of competition than could be found in the PWHPA and PHF.
It's believed some of the PHF's Finnish and Czech players may be returning to Europe, however roster spots in European leagues were mostly filled when the PHF was folded, and those positions have since become even more scarce. Europe's season will be close to four months into action by the time the puck drops on an inaugural season of the new professional women's hockey league.
For the rest of the players remaining in the pool, it's a waiting game to see the new league's announced markets, player distribution plans, and draft process. It's been discussed that teams would begin training camps in November. For now however, players and fans wait.