New women’s professional league signs first player
Janine Weber became the first player to join the newly formed National Women’s Hockey League on Thursday, signing a free-agent contract with the New York Riveters.
Weber previously competed in the Canadian Women’s Hockey League, which had been the only high-level professional women’s hockey league in North America during the past eight years.
In March, during the Canadian league’s final, Weber scored the winning goal for the Boston Blades.
Weber said she was immediately interested when the new league formed shortly after the Canadian league’s season. The new league, which will have teams in New York, Buffalo, Connecticut and Boston, will pay players a salary, whereas the Canadian league does not.
Players in the American league will also not have to buy their own equip- ment. After Weber scored the goal that won the championship, she was asked to donate her stick to the Hockey Hall of Fame. She was initially hesitant because it was the only stick she had on hand.
Weber said the opportunity to earn a salary in the National Women’s Hockey League had tilted her decision. An Austrian citizen, Weber, 23, will have to apply for a visa to work in the United States. Dani Rylan, the commissioner of the league and the Riveters’ general manager, said players in that situation would have the help of an immigration lawyer sought out by the league.
“We want the best players from around the world to compete in the NWHL,” Rylan said.
The commissioner of the Canadian league, Brenda Andress, said in a statement: “We can confirm that a few players, including Janine Weber, have received releases from their contracts in order to explore other hockey opportunities, including the NWHL and Europe. We wish these players every success and thank them for their contributions to the CWHL”
Weber signed a one-year contract, with financial terms not disclosed. Each team will have a roster of 18 players, and with owners subject to a salary cap of $270,000, a player’s average pay will be $15,000.
Having lived in Providence, Rhode Island, where she went to college, Weber will probably have to move to New York to play for the Riveters.
“I’m obviously a little worried, but I think I’m more excited than that,” Weber said about the cost of living in New York.
The next few months could be a scramble between the two leagues to sign the world’s top players. This month, Marie-Philip Poulin, a twotime Olympic gold medallist for Canada, registered for the Canadian league’s 2015 draft, set for Aug. 23.
The American league’s inaugural draft will be June 20.
Hilary Knight, a U.S. Olympian who played for the Blades last season, attended the new league’s launch party in April and noted her excitement over the formation of a league that would offer salaries.
“I think there’s going to be a huge wave after this,” Rylan said. “I expect future signings to come in bunches.”
The league will begin its first season Oct. 17.