What's the biggest issue in women's hockey today? PWHL players talk salary, schedules, more
What do PWHL players think about the issues facing their sport, including salaries, officiating and the international schedule?
www.nytimes.comHere’s the latest on PWHL salaries based on recent reporting:
- Salary disclosures emerged openly in 2025 with the PWHL Players Association voting in favor of transparency, and multiple outlets began publishing full or partial salary data for the 2025-26 season. This marked a shift from earlier seasons when numbers were less publicly disclosed.[4][9]
- As of 2026, expansion and increased salary flexibility have driven upward movement in contracts for top players, with reports noting that some players signed three-year deals guaranteeing at least $80,000 and that team-level salary pools and minimums have risen accordingly under the league’s framework.[1][4]
- The league-wide baseline and minimums increased over time due to the collective bargaining agreement, and the average salary for players on rosters has been cited around the mid-$50,000s to upper-$50,000s, depending on whether reserves are included and how salaries are disclosed by teams and league sources.[2][4]
- Public commentary and analysis have highlighted that while top contracts have climbed, a large portion of players still earn lower salaries, with roughly two-thirds earning below the league average in some accounting of the 2024-25 season, illustrating ongoing disparities and the ongoing effects of expansion on compensation.[2]
- Transparency efforts have continued into 2026, including formal releases of salaries by the PWHL Players Association and related reporting, which are intended to inform contract negotiations and bolster advocacy for improved pay, scheduling, and benefits across the league.[5][9]
If you’d like, I can pull the most recent salary breakdowns by team or provide a simple chart showing the trend in average and minimum salaries across recent seasons. I can also summarize what the current salary cap and team-by-team allocations look like for the 2025-26 season.
Citations:
- PWHL salary expansion and top-player contracts discussions.[1]
- Full team salaries and league averages for 2024-25 season context.[2]
- Public discussion of transparency and minimums under the current collective agreement.[4]
- 2026 developments, including salary disclosures and transparency efforts.[5]
- Ongoing media coverage of salaries and player perspectives.[9]