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The Premier Hockey Federation Players' Association (PHFPA), formerly known as the National Women's Hockey League Players' Association (NWHLPA), was a representative body for professional ice hockey players in the Premier Hockey Federation (PHF). The association was founded in 2015, the year of the league's founding, and disbanded in 2023 after the league was purchased and dissolved as part of the establishment of the Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL). Former PHF players now playing in the PWHL are members of the PWHL Players Association.

History

In 2015, the NWHL announced that its players' association would consist of two elected players from each team. Erika Lawler served as the director of the players' association in its inaugural season. The elected player representatives during the NWHL's inaugural season were Emily Pfalzer and Meghan Duggan from Buffalo Beauts, Celeste Brown and Taylor Holze from the New York Riveters, Kelli Stack and Kaleigh Fratkin from the Connecticut Whale, and Hilary Knight and Brianna Decker from the Boston Pride.

In the midst of the league's second season in 2016–17, the league announced that it would be immediately cutting player salaries by up to 50% to address financial sustainability. To that point, the league had committed to a salary range between $10,000 and $26,000 per player. In response to the cuts, players made calls for greater transparency from the league. By 2019, players reported being paid as little as $2,000 per season.

In 2019, the NWHLPA negotiated what it called a "breakthrough" agreement with the NWHL, resulting in an undisclosed increase to salaries and a 50-50 split of sponsor-related revenues after NWHL operating costs were met. According to the PA, these were the first "substantial gains" players had made since the league was founded.

In 2023, as it became clear that the Professional Women's Hockey Players Association (PHWPA), which had been organizing a boycott of the NWHL since 2019, was preparing to launch a new professional women's league, the PHFPA held discussions about formally unionizing. Ultimately, the PHF was acquired by PWHPA business partner Mark Walter in June, and the league was wound down as part of the launch of the new Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL). The PWHLPA negotiated a landmark eight-year collective bargaining agreement (CBA) with the new league, which was ratified in July 2023. PHF players were not party to negotiations, nor did they have a chance to review or vote on the agreement.

In July 2023, the outgoing PHF Board of Governors appointed a PHF Player Leadership Committee to work with the new league and help PHF players, who were provided severance packages, with the transition. The Committee included at least one representative from each former PHF team: Jillian Dempsey and Allie Thunstrom from Boston; Dominique Kremer from Buffalo; Kacey Bellamy and Kennedy Marchment from Connecticut; Fratkin, Madison Packer, and Katerina Mrázová from the Riveters; Sydney Brodt from the Minnesota Whitecaps; Ann-Sophie Bettez from the Montreal Force; and Shiann Darkangelo from the Toronto Six. On July 2, the players released a statement expressing their support for the new league and stating that "all women's hockey players are united stronger than ever".

References

1. Krotz, Paul (April 13, 2022). "Nicole Corriero Appointed Executive Director of PHF Players' Association". PremierHockeyFederation.com. Premier Hockey Federation. Archived from the original on June 28, 2022. Retrieved May 10, 2022.
2. Kennedy, Ian (2023-07-03). "Report: Salary Details Emerge From New Professional Women's Hockey League CBA". The Hockey News. SI. Archived from the original on 2024-01-19. Retrieved 2024-01-19.
3. Nelson, Dustin (2015-11-12). "NWHL Announces Formation of Player's Association". The Hockey Writers. Archived from the original on 2015-11-18. Retrieved 2017-04-14.
4. "NWHL Players' Association Representatives Announced". nwhl.co. National Women's Hockey League. 2015. Archived from the original on 2016-06-10. Retrieved 2017-04-14.
5. ^ Berkman, Seth (2016-11-22). "Pay Cuts Jolt Women's Pro League and Leave Its Future Uncertain". New York Times. Archived from the original on 2016-11-25. Retrieved 2024-01-21.
6. Johnson, Randy (2019-05-03). "Whitecaps standouts and other Olympians won't play until demands are met". Star Tribune. Archived from the original on 2024-01-19. Retrieved 2024-01-19.
7. ^ "NWHL Agrees to Increase Salaries, Benefits, Revenue Sharing". Sports Illustrated. 2019-05-23. Archived from the original on 2019-05-24. Retrieved 2024-01-21.
8. ^ Ayala, Erica L. (2023-07-05). "Everything We Know About The PHF Player Leadership Committee". Forbes. Retrieved 2024-01-21.
9. Wyshynski, Greg (2023-06-29). "Sources: Premier Hockey Federation sale could unite women's hockey". ESPN. Archived from the original on 2023-06-30. Retrieved 2023-06-30.
10. Kennedy, Ian (2023-07-03). "CBA Compensation Details: New Professional Women's Hockey League". The Hockey News. SI. Archived from the original on 2023-10-01. Retrieved 2024-01-17.
11. Sadler, Emily (June 30, 2023). "What we know (and what we don't) about the PWHPA/PHF shakeup". Sportsnet. Archived from the original on July 1, 2023. Retrieved June 30, 2023.
12. ^ Kennedy, Ian (2023-07-02). ""United Stronger"- PHF Players Release Statement". The Hockey News. SI. Archived from the original on 2024-01-21. Retrieved 2024-01-21.

• Sports trade unions of the United States
• Premier Hockey Federation players
• Women's ice hockey in the United States
• Ice hockey organizations
• Sports organizations established in 2015
• Trade unions established in 2015
• 2015 establishments in the United States
• 2023 disestablishments in the United States
• Sports organizations disestablished in 2023