Professional Women's Hockey Players' Association ratifies CBA to launch new women's pro hockey league

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It’s game on for a new, yet-to-be named women’s pro hockey league to launch in January after union members cleared the final major hurdle on Sunday by unanimously ratifying a collective bargaining agreement and a constitution, a person with direct knowledge of the vote told The Associated Press.

The person spoke on the condition of anonymity because the Professional Women's Hockey Players' Association has not announced the result of the vote conducted by its 97 members. The ratification effectively clears the way to launching the new league, which will bring together the top female stars in North America, with the potential to attract Europe and Asia’s best, as well.

The CBA runs through 2031, and having one in place before the league begins play marks a first for professional women’s sports in North America. The WNBA’s CBA was ratified in 1999, a year after the league launched, and the NWSL didn’t have its first CBA until last year, 10 years after it was established.

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Boston Pride players cheer as coach Paul Mara hoists the NWHL Isobel Cup trophy after the teams win over the Minnesota Whitecaps in the championship hockey game in Boston, Saturday, March 27, 2021. Organizers announced plans Friday, June 30, 2023, to launch a new women’s professional hockey league in January that they hope will provide a stable, economically sustainable home for the sports top players for years to come. The agreement ends a long standoff between the seven-team Professional Hockey Federation (PHF) and the PWHPA.  (AP Photo/Mary Schwalm, File)

The vote caps a whirlwind three-day stretch that began