What The PWHL's Roster And Salary Shifts Means For Players And Teams

The PWHL made significant changes to their roster size and payment structure 

Ahead of the 2026-27 season, the league has done away with reserves, opting to move to 24-player rosters from the 23-player and three reserve system they've operated under since day one. 

The league, in conjunction with the PWHLPA, also abruptly altered the minimum pay structure moving league minimum from a scheduled $38,245 this season immediately boosting league-minimum salary to $42,000.

Increasing the minimum salary from $42,000 this season, to $45,000 next season, climbing to $52,500 by 2030-2031 is a positive for the league and players. The timing however, and the PWHL's continued lack of planning, will have impacts on the player pool and team planning.

Paying players in the PWHL more will never be a bad thing. The change in salary for many players over the next five seasons will be significant for the professionalism of the league. 

If a player were to remain on a league minimum salary over the next five seasons, the result would be an additional $33,949 paid to the player over that term.

The reserve system played a vital role for PWHL teams in recent seasons with many reserves moving into full time roles in the league, but for those who were signed as reserves, the $15,000 stipend was an unliveable wage. Adding an additional contract not only gives an added player a $42,000 contract, but also adds an additional player to the league's cap structure, which is based on a team average, not an overall cap. Adding a contract at the bottom of the pay structure will allow more compensation for players across each lineup, although initially most of that will be eaten by the bump of all players below the new minimum to $42,000. Last season, close to 70 players signed contracts in the PWHL for less than this value.

On the surface, all players receiving a raise to at least $42,000 is a good thing. Last season 125 players in the PWHL made $42,000 or more. There were however, significant concerns from players, agents and teams over the timing of the move which came after months of now meaningless contract negotiations, including players changing teams, having their rights held, or accepting raises on contracts that were below and are now at the league minimum level. 

One issue with the timing of the PWHL's salary structure change is that players were protected, and negotiated contracts for this season on the premise of league minimum being $38,245. For some players who were not on league minimum salaries last season, they were tendered qualifying offers for teams to keep their rights. 

For many, those qualifying offers were below $42,000. It allowed teams to keep the rights of players, who they'll now be able to sign for league minimum, despite the fact many of those players are entering their second season in the PWHL and were due to earn above league minimum this season. Currently, only Toronto's Hanna Baskin and Clara Van Wieren remain unsigned among this group, but many 2025 PWHL Draft picks were in this situation prior to negotiating contracts in the offseason. To protect a player this offseason, teams needed to tender an offer with a 3% raise. 

Other players in the league who were already on league minimum, or near-minimum salaries chose to leave their preferred markets for raises elsewhere. For some of those bottom six or bottom pairing players, they left their market from last season believing they were getting a raise.

For example, Player X made $38,000 last season, above league minimum, before signing a contract in the offseason changing teams to receive a raise to $42,000. Now however, that player would have had the option to remain on their original team for that value, and instead switched teams to receive a league-minimum salary. Those few thousand dollars were used to attract players to various markets, even if their preference was to stay. Those negotiations were made in good faith, only to have the perceived benefits of the move and contract removed after the fact.

The above is a very real situation in the PWHL this offseason, where teams used nominal raises to attract depth players to new markets. Now those depth players will be making the same as if they'd stayed, rather than uprooting their lives to new cities for identical money, and increased uncertainty.

In a quieter move this offseason, the PWHL shifted draft salary minimums. The first six players in the draft were guaranteed at least $65,000, with incremental moves every six players down to picks 19-24 at the end of Round 2 being guaranteed $45,000. Players beyond that were only guaranteed the league minimum. The second round, picks 19-24 guarantee was previously $6,755 above league minimum. Now however, highly anticipated players like Elisa Holopainen, Viivi Vainikka, and Casey Borgiel will be making only $3,000 more than undrafted training camp free agents, and players four rounds behind them.

Some players may have sacrificed most of that $3,000 for the freedom to choose which team they'll play for. Now, drafted players in the third round and below have fewer rights, and equal financial opportunity to players who went undrafted. Undrafted free agents were able to choose the market they felt best matched their needs and opportunities, while many drafted players who are unable to make more than undrafted players, including third round picks, did not have that career freedom. It's a situation 43 currently unsigned draft picks, including nine players in the guaranteed salary brackets find themselves within.

Additionally, drafted players have their rights held by the team who selected them for two seasons, and can receive a qualifying offer next season, which will not exceed the new league minimum for a second straight season, while undrafted players can immediately become free agents after this season and negotiate contracts on the open market that could exceed league minimum.

Players and agents across the league immediately reached out to The Hockey News following the joint decision from the PWHL and PWHLPA regarding a decision they felt negated their work to receive raises this offseason. Agents and players navigated a stressful expansion process for the second straight season, negotiating contracts and choosing locations in good faith. One of the points players and agents made immediately, is that players who were on league-minimum salaries, and received raises signing for values between $38,245 and $42,000, believed they should receive the same cap percentage, or dollar value above league minimum that they'd negotiated. In other words, if a player signed for $41,000, a contract originally slated to be $2,755 above minimum, those players and agents believe their contracts should be adjusted to $44,755, the equivalent raise, not placed on league minimum deals of $42,000. Those players are still receiving a financial benefit from the decision, but also negotiated raises believing their experience and performance warranted compensation above league minimum levels. Instead, some veterans entering their fourth season of play in the PWHL will now be paid identical salaries to undrafted camp invites this season with no recognition of their service or experience.