The Link Between Billie Jean King and the Professional Women’s Hockey League

The biggest problem in the formation of the P.W.H.L. was financial. Gary Bettman, the longtime commissioner of the National Hockey League, offered support and counsel, but he couldn’t contribute much money. So the group turned to Mark Walter, the chief executive of Guggenheim Partners and an owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers. King and Kloss are part of the Dodger’s ownership group. The Walters, Mark and his wife, Kimbra, are the sole owners of the P.W.H.L., and while financial terms have not been released, their multimillion-dollar investment is for at least eight years.

“This was an investment, not a gift,” Kloss stressed.

In June 2023, as King and Kloss were in London preparing for the 50th anniversary of the founding of the WTA, Coyne Schofield called again, this time with good news: The hockey association had signed its collective bargaining agreement and was ready to hit the ice.

The inaugural season, which began on Jan. 1, had three teams from Canada (Toronto, Montreal and Ottawa) and three from the United States (Minnesota, Boston and New York.) By midseason, attendance hit more than 21,000 fans at one game between Montreal and Toronto.

Player salaries for the 24-game season, which will increase to 30 games in 2025, averaged $55,000 per player and will rise by 3 percent each year. (The minimum salary in the National Hockey League is $750,000.) Each P.W.H.L. player is given a $1,500 monthly housing stipend and two meals per day, as well as equipment, gym use, strength and conditioning coaches, a full-time support staff, and even maternity arrangements. Media rights are still being negotiated, but there are broadcasts on regional sports networks and the games are streamed on YouTube.