Daryl Watts reconciled to pay cut in new women's pro hockey league

Daryl Watts took a financial hit when the Premier Hockey League was bought out and the Professional Women's Hockey League took its place.

The 24-year-old forward from Toronto signed a two-year contract in January with the PHF's Toronto Six that would have paid her a league-record $150,000 US in 2023-24.

Within weeks of the Six winning the PHF championship Isobel Cup, it was announced that Los Angeles Dodgers co-owner Mark Walter had bought out the PHF and had also reached a collective bargaining agreement with players representing the Professional Women's Hockey Players' Association (PWHPA) to pave the way for a new league.

Watts was chosen by Ottawa in the sixth round of Monday's PWHL draft.

"Financially, sure, my contract was voided, but I think at the end of the day, competing against the best players in the world and for there to finally be one singular professional women's league, that's priceless," Watts said during a media conference call with other Ottawa draft picks.

"Conversations with my family, at the very beginning it was like 'Oh man, that's a lot of money I'm going to miss out on.' But then it's like 'No, that's self-centred thinking.' This is so good for the women's game. It's going to push the women's game in an incredible direction.

"In 10 years, this league will have way more money than the PHF had."

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The PWHL's salary range is $35,000 to $80,000. The league so far hasn't disclosed player salaries after they've signed.

The CBA states that each team will carry a minimum six players signed to three-year contracts paying them $80,000 annually.

The PWHL's average player salary in its inaugural season starting in January will be US$55,000.

The CBA also includes