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The long-awaited NWHL salary cap breakdown has finally been released.
This afternoon the league introduced CapPro, which includes the individual salaries for each player. The salary cap for each team is $270,000, with a league minimum salary of $10,000 and maximum of $25,000. Here's how it breaks down for the Pride:
| Name | Salary | Position |
|---|---|---|
| Bellamy, Kacey | $22,000 | D |
| Bolden, Blake | $15,000 | D |
| Buie, Corinne | $12,000 | F |
| Cooke, Kelly | $10,500 | F |
| Decker, Brianna | $22,000 | F |
| Dempsey, Jillian | $10,500 | F |
| Field, Emily | $13,500 | F |
| Fralick, Kelsie | $10,000 | G |
| Gagliardi, Alyssa | $16,000 | D |
| Gedman, Marissa | $10,000 | D |
| Hickel, Zoe | $16,000 | F |
| Knight, Hilary | $22,000 | F |
| Llanes, Rachel | $10,500 | F |
| Marvin, Gigi | $20,000 | D |
| Ott, Brittney | $17,000 | G |
| Pelkey, Amanda | $13,500 | F |
| Slebodnick, Lauren | $12,500 | G |
| Smelker, Jordan | $16,000 | F |
Doing the math, that adds up to a total of $269,000, leaving them with little to work with. As expected, Bellamy, Decker, and Knight, who are all members of both the National and Olympic teams, top the list.
The only player making the league maximum is USWNT player and Olympian Kelli Stack of the Connecticut Whale. Consequently, Connecticut has the highest number of players making the league minimum (seven). The fact that the Pride's best players are not making the league max, however, is due to the high talent level of the rest of the team, as they have the fewest players making the league minimum.
As reported by Bloomberg back in April, players had the option to negotiate with team management to raise their salaries, but no matter what way you cut it, it's still not enough to live on. (For context, the minimum NHL player salary for 2015-2016 is $575,000, which is more than double the Pride's entire salary cap. Just a friendly reminder).
However, it is a start and a huge step in the right direction. Players have the added bonus of receiving 15% of the proceeds from each jersey sold with their name on it, which gives them added incentive to interact with fans on social media and make themselves known to the fanbase. So, go order a jersey, everyone! With less than two weeks until the puck drops, it appears as if the inaugural season will live up to everything it was advertised to be.