PHF Announces Publication of 2022-23 Bylaws
September 2, 2022 – Premier Hockey Federation (PHF) News Release
BOSTON, MA – The Premier Hockey Federation (PHF) today announced another step forward in the growth and development of the league and its commitment to transparency with the full publication of the 2022-23 PHF Bylaws, representing the first time in league history that this information is available to the general public to view. The first Bylaws were adopted in October 2020 as part of a new governance structure to ensure fair and competitive play and to provide a solid foundation for future growth.
“Communication and transparency are part of our commitment to the entire PHF community and the core for building trust and credibility as we make the PHF the most thriving and sustainable home for professional women’s hockey,” said Reagan Carey, PHF Commissioner. “Bylaws are critical to our success and we have been working diligently as a team to gather input to get to this stage. As we embark into this new era they will continue to evolve annually to reflect our growth and development with the Board of Governors vision, collaboration between league leadership and our players, and will be enhanced as we introduce focus groups to encourage new perspectives.”
Some notable highlights and updates from the 2022-23 edition of the PHF Bylaws are as follows:
Player Eligibility: Any player who attains the age of 18 prior to the commencement of the PHF season that (i) has not previously participated in, or has not elected to participate in collegiate athletics, or (ii) has forfeited (due to injury, leave of absence, collegiate retirement, etc.) their collegiate eligibility, provided that such player registration and eligibility shall be subject to review and approval by the Commissioner and the Board of Governors. The PHF recognizes the global scope of the PHF player pool, the varying paths to professional hockey, and the varying circumstances related to a player’s development, and encourages all players to complete their collegiate eligibility.
Free Agency: Restricted free agency is to occur for 45 days following the final playoff game of the season, with unrestricted free agency to begin immediately following this 45-day period. To give players more freedom of choice, there will not be a draft before Season 9.
Team Rosters: The game day roster has been permanently modified to 20 players (18 skaters and 2 goaltenders). Professional Tryout (PTO) agreement wages have been increased to $375 per game in alignment with the increase in the salary cap. PTO agreements do not count towards the salary cap but are limited to 10 per team during the regular season, and are unlimited during the exhibition season. All practice players are to be paid consistently across the league at $150 per week, an amount not counted in the salary cap.
Roster Freeze: No modifications to rosters will be permitted from the date that is 30 days before the end of the final regular season. In order to be eligible to participate in the Isobel Cup Playoffs a player must be signed prior to the 30-day roster freeze and have participated in at least 25 percent of the signing team’s regular season games at the completion of the season. Some exceptions apply for LTIR players.
LTIR: A new Long Term Injury Reserve (LTIR) designation has been created, allowing teams to place players on LTIR for bona fide health reasons. Players will continue to be paid while on LTIR and the player’s salary will not form a part of such team’s salary cap calculation. The minimum period for LTIR is set at 21 days.
Salary Cap: All payments paid to players for salary, bonus, housing, moving, relocation, mileage, or other cash paid on a player’s behalf count against the salary cap. Payments that do not count towards the salary cap include visa/immigration fees, league related health care costs, All-Star Game or Playoff bonuses, per diems, payroll taxes, and fees paid in the normal course of payments. There is cap relief of up to $10,000 in total, with no more than $5,000 paid to any one player, for relocation/housing costs or allowances to players who are earning $30,000 or less.
National Teams: The PHF and its member clubs support all players in their pursuit to participate in any national team program. A player’s contract will remain in full force and effect for the period of time equal to the service commitment to the applicable national team program.
Performance Enhancing Substances: PHF athletes may be subject to up to two random tests per season, and/or for any suspected misuse of a substance. The PHF Medical Committee will be reviewing the Prohibited List published by the World Anti-Doping Agency and will circulate any list of modifications to the player pool prior to the start of the regular season.
The full 2022-23 PHF Bylaws are available online at: https://www.premierhockeyfederation.com/phf-bylaws
In the coming months the PHF will build and announce a focus group intended to leverage insights from a range of content experts (agents, players, lawyers, etc.). The group will review and recommend modifications that ensures the league continues to foster ways to make it a sound document for all stakeholders. The 2022-23 PHF regular season schedule will be announced in the coming weeks.
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