This week on The IX Sports Podcast Hockey Edition, host Maya Smith briefs listeners on the upcoming Women’s Hockey World Championship.
But before getting into the main story, Smith explained some shifts in Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) salary structure. In the past, teams had rosters with 23 players, and carried three reserve players who practiced with the team, but were not officially on the team. Now, teams will carry 24 fully-salaried players at all times, with no reserve players, but teams will be able to sign players on a short-term basis to fill vacancies opened by injuries or illness.
Additionally, minimum salaries are going up and will continue to go up each season. It will be $42,000 a year in 2026, going up to $52,500 in 2030 and 2031.
Smith had lots of questions about both changes.
“Now, where do you get these one-off players from? You have no farm team league,” Smith said, so it is unclear where teams will be able to pick up players. Tune in to the episode to hear more about how these changes could impact teams this season.
World Championship
The IIHF Women’s World Championship begins Friday, Nov. 6, in Denmark, and ends Nov. 16.
Smith said that Canada and the United States are expected to meet again in the Gold Medal game. But lots of questions remain as to how other teams will perform.
Czechia, for instance, is missing several players from its roster, including Tereza Vanišová and Denisa Křížová. Křížová has been dealing with visa issues, but it is unclear why Vanišová is out, and a statement from representatives for the team did not clear things up, Smith said.
Winning the bronze medal would be a great achievement from this tournament for Czechia or Switzerland, Smith said.
Tune in to the episode to hear about why this year could be Sweden’s best path to the podium in years — plus, an interview with Madison Samoskevich!
Make sure to subscribe to The IX Sports Podcast for in-depth coverage of women’s soccer, hockey and basketball; and tune in each weekday morning for a quick overview of the biggest headlines on Women’s Sports Daily, like WNBA news and PWHL expansion updates.
