Montreal will finally get its long-promised women’s pro hockey franchise. However, the Premier Hockey Federation has resisted adding another expansion team to its eighth season.
Reagan Carey, PHF Commissioner, stated that the U.S.-based league was now the seventh and second Canadian franchises.
“Sometimes there’s an urgency to add people. Carey explained to The Associated Press that it is important to think through the process and ensure that the right people are involved in the progress.
She said, “There has been a lot evaluating, assessing, and a lot discussions in trying to get better understanding of the league’s immediate needs and what we need long-term for a sustainable future.” Montreal has been at top of this list since Day 1.
The Montreal franchise is still in the planning stages for about 18 months. However, its launch has been delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic. In January, PHF officials had also pledged to expand into the U.S. without disclosing exactly where.
Carey was hired in April and said that she needed to get more familiar with the PHF before adding another expansion team. The former USA Hockey executive stated that she is open to the possibility of expanding next season.
Montreal will host women’s hockey for the first time in 12 years since Les Canadiennes played in Montreal before the Canadian Women’s Hockey League collapsed following the 2019 season.
The team will be based within Verdun, the city’s borough. Home games will be played at Centre 21.02 which has a capacity for 2,500. Former Canadian women’s national team coach Daniele Savageau established the two-rink center as a high performance facility.
BTM Partners will now own Montreal’s franchise. They also have local influence over its executive. Kevin Raphael, a French cable TV broadcaster, will be the team president. Emmanuel Anderson will be vice president. Anderson and Raphael have collaborated on many projects, including hosting a hockey fundraiser for children’s cancer foundations.
BTM also owns New Jersey’s Metropolitan Riveters and the Boston Pride. BTM also owned Toronto Six, before it sold the franchise to Ted Nolan, a former NHL coach, and Angela James (a former Canadian women’s hockey player).
Montreal has already caught up in the process of establishing a roster two months after PHF’s free agency period.
Carey stated that it shouldn’t matter citing the talent pool available in Quebec. Montreal will also benefit from the PHF’s decision this season to raise its salary cap to $750,000 per person. This is more than twice the $300,000.
Montreal is the third expansion team for the league after the addition of the Minnesota Whitecaps in 2016 and the establishment of a new Toronto team two years ago.
PHF was formerly called the National Women’s Hockey League. It was established in 2015 and is North America’s only women’s hockey league that pays players a salary. The league has teams in Danbury (Connecticut) and Buffalo (New York).
The PHF’s ongoing push into Canada coincides in part with the rival Professional Woman’s Hockey Player’s Association, which is currently in talks to start its own league within the next one year. The majority of players from both the U.S. national teams and Canada are members of the PWHPA.
Carey supports the PWHPA, despite being rivals. It’s working towards the same goal as the PHF to increase women’s sport.
“Moving to Canada and being able offer opportunities for players there is important for us. Carey stated that it is a North American league. “But, at the same moment, we’re certainly not settling. As we move forward, our intention is to continue growing and providing more resources for players.