According to the Premier Hockey Federation, a new women’s professional hockey league is slated to launch in January 2024.
First reported by The Hockey News’ Ian Kennedy, The PHF has been acquired by the new league which will be financially supported by business and philanthropic leaders Mark and Kimbra Walters and led by board members including tennis legend Billie Jean King, sports executive Ilana Kloss and Los Angeles Dodgers president Stan Kasten.
According to a press release on the PHF website, the new league has acquired the assets of the PHF and spent months negotiating a collective bargaining agreement with the Professional Women’s Hockey Players Association (PWHPA).
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Mark Walter is the controlling owner of the Dodgers and the WNBA’s Los Angeles Sparks, co-general partner of the ownership group of the Premier League’s Chelsea Football Club and holder of a significant interest in the NBA’s Los Angeles Lakers.
“I have always believed that professional sports should bring the highest levels of performance and organization,” Walter said in the press release. “And this new league will have the backing and resources it needs to represent the very best of women’s hockey.”
The new league will allow women’s hockey to grow into a more equitable sport and feature the best women’s hockey players in the world.
“This is an extraordinary opportunity to advance women’s sports,” said King. “I have no doubt that this league can capture the imagination of fans and a new generation of players. I want to thank Mark and Kimbra Walter for their vision and commitment to investing in women’s sports.”
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At this time, it is unknown how the new league will affect current PHF teams such as the Boston Pride.
Featured image via Winslow Townson/USA TODAY Sports Images
