The four-team National Women's Hockey League has so far proved the exception for Stack, who participated in the league's inaugural All-Star game in Buffalo last weekend."In September or October, we didn't know how long the league would last, if it would make a full year or what," she said. "So to actually have it be real and to be a part of it, it's hard to comprehend."
Stack plays for the Stamford-based Connecticut Whale, and makes a league-high $25,000. The minimum salary is $10,000 and there are 72 players getting paid, according to the league's website.
The NWHL is the first to pay its players a salary, but it is not the only North American women's league. The Canadian Women's Hockey League is in its eighth season and follows a different business model. The five-team CWHL pays its coaches and general managers, while providing players prize money for winning the regular season and playoff titles.
For the first time, the CWHL intends to begin paying its players a regular salary, beginning next year.
The CWHL's introduction of player salaries does not come in direct response to the NWHL's emergence. It has instead been part of the league's long-term vision to establish a sustainable model by developing a fan base and building ties with corporate sponsors, including four of the NHL's seven Canadian teams.
"For us, it's about growing the whole game, growing a community of hockey, so our plan is dead on target," CWHL Commissioner Brenda Andress said. "It's always a great question, what's the definition of somebody saying, 'I'm a pro league because I pay my players $5,000 or $10,000? Or am I a pro league when I pay them $150,000?'"
The CWHL has made several inroads. Its All-Star game in Toronto last weekend drew 7,000 fans and attracted a television audience of 109,000 on Canada's Sportsnet cable network. Andress called that a "big, huge statement."
By comparison, the NWHL drew about 900 fans to its All-Star game in Buffalo, and projected having about 2,000 more watching via a live online stream.
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