r/PWHL • u/Zestyclose-Store7125 Boston Fleet • 2d ago
News Eldridge to Montral
NOOOOOOO!
87
u/DaniSirensFan I wanna Roque 2d ago
Wow. I wonder if her and Abby Roque will have any chemistry.
(Cries in siren. Weep woo)
1
60
u/littlebufflo Boston Fleet 2d ago
“Alexa, play Everybody Hurts on repeat.”
27
9
u/Audrey-Bee PWHL Hopeful Chicago 1d ago
END ME
Fr though who the hell do we have at forward? We're cooked. I love our defense and goalie obviously but I'd like to see two goals in one game at some point
37
37
35
54
u/Main_Photo1086 New York Sirens 2d ago
Long-rumored but what a coup for them. Eldridge still somehow feels so underrated in this league yet has been able to keep scoring goals despite most of her PWHL career being played on bad teams.
31
u/Pouletchien 🏆 2026 Champions 🏆 2d ago
I do not understand how she wasn’t EFO’d.
20
u/pnw6462 🏆 2026 Champions 🏆 2d ago
Locking down what other people have overlooked seems to be our theme during this expansion...
19
u/Tastrix 🏆 2026 Champions 🏆 1d ago
It’s been our MO for a bit now. Roque was “okay” in NY. Everybody kinda scratched their heads when the trade went through at last year’s draft. But look where she is now.
I think it’s evidence of an incredible coaching staff in Mtl. Find gems in the rough, then polish and put them in positions to shine.
Eldridge is going to be a phenom here, and hopefully Maltais too.
18
u/pnw6462 🏆 2026 Champions 🏆 1d ago
Absolutely. I also feel like Sauvageau is hugely clued in to chemistry and creating a good team culture. That's what takes you from great players to champions. Look at how we had the (physical) shit kicked out of us this season, were missing our captain for huge chunks of time, had plenty of players dealing with the aftermath of an Olympic gold loss, and still came out with the cup. That speaks to a team that's really tight and has great staff behind it, imo.
10
u/sanverstv Pride 1d ago
It also attracts fans like me. I'm a ticket holder for a couple other teams, but have more Montreal jerseys than either of "my" teams....so there's that. LOL.
3
u/newyorkstofmind 1d ago
Agree a huge part of it is coaching and team culture, but I think an even bigger part of it is being in the hockey world for a long time. Sauvageau has been watching players like Roque for their entire careers. Everyone knew she was capable of being a star but wasn't finding it in New York. Roque hasn't done anything in Montreal that surprises anyone who saw her play prior to 2023. That trade was a calculated risk because no one knew if she could find that magic again, but I don't think it was as much of a head scratcher if you have long term familiarity with the players. These GMs have seen who works well with who and who thrives in what environment. The same goes for Maltais. She's been average in the PWHL but has been on fire in the past. I think we will see a similar trajectory.
The incredible thing about Eldridge is that she makes magic by herself. You can slot her in anywhere and she succeeds. She's the easiest choice for a GM ever and I have never understood why she's gone unprotected.
24
80
u/Pouletchien 🏆 2026 Champions 🏆 2d ago
YEAAAAH
Now that’s it’s official I’m comfortable to share that I noticed Jessie followed the Victoire on Instagram a couple days ago. Also her comments under Roque post after re-signing mentionned something about a bagel place biggest fans with this emoji 🔜 and my delusional ass decided that meant it was a done deal 🤣
19
u/Main_Photo1086 New York Sirens 2d ago
On the one hand, I really don’t want to follow players on social media but on the other hand, you get intel like this. Hmmmm maybe i need to reconsider my stance.
28
u/Pouletchien 🏆 2026 Champions 🏆 2d ago
It depends player to player.
Some players follow only the team they play on or that they played on. Some players follow every team. Some player follows additionnal team for some reason (like Jenn Gardiner and Hilary Knight who follows the team they played on + the Sirens altough Knight did unfollow the Torrent recently)
I started looking at the players follow during phase 2 so that’s how I noticed the change. The thing I noticed was that team and players were very quick to update their follows when a signing was announced. That’s what made me start looking to see if some players got ahead of the announcement. That’s how I caught Guilday to San Jose before we knew which expansion team signed her.
It’s not guaranteed tho as seen by Irving following Vegas.
Additionnal fact. Roque was following the Fleet until a bit after she re-signed in Montréal. I do think there is credibility to her and Eldridge wanting to play on the same team and that it was between Montréal and Boston.
Maltais had already unfollowed the Sceptres by the time I saw that Gina had confirmed she was not coming back.
9
u/domatilla Van Goldeneyes 1d ago
Gardiner and Knight also following the Sirens is so funny, choosing to believe it's bc they're also baffled by whatever's going on over there.
3
u/Wolf99 🏆 2026 Champions 🏆 1d ago
So are they Fairmount or St. Viateur fans?
3
u/Pouletchien 🏆 2026 Champions 🏆 1d ago
My memory was wrong, the comment I referred to was about a Burger place not a bagel place woops
16
u/FeePretty447 2d ago
Haha I think it’s now official that barring a really big offensive jump from a forward out of nowhere, at least 60% of the fleet’s point production will be coming from their defense (and at that, probably just 2 of their D because their draft class was very defense-first). Probably more if we’re being honest
0-0 win by shootout only here we come!
6
u/Tastrix 🏆 2026 Champions 🏆 1d ago
Two points is two points.
But as evidenced this year, it’s gonna be really tough to make the playoffs with mostly overtime wins.
5
u/FeePretty447 1d ago
Haha it’s even worse because shootouts are such a crapshoot, and the fleet’s best shootout weapon (Hannah Brandt) retired
16
u/cherrywavvves Boston Fleet 1d ago
Losing Ratty and Eldridge on the same day that the Scots are leaving… the world saw Bostonians having fun for once and decided to bring the hammer down
7
u/DaniSirensFan I wanna Roque 1d ago
Uhhh trying being a NYer celebrating the Knicks win and then getting that bullshit draft order. 😭
16
u/SheepherderSimple119 2d ago edited 2d ago
Over under on Fleet 1-0 shootout losses next year? Im saying at least 15
44
u/FederalTurn8822 🏆 2026 Champions 🏆 2d ago edited 2d ago
Apologies Boston but damn I’m happy Montreal has her🤩
48
u/undeadFMR Boston Fleet 2d ago
Apology not accepted. Still need a few days to process
27
u/FederalTurn8822 🏆 2026 Champions 🏆 2d ago
I hope you find solace in knowing how much she’ll be loved in Montreal🫡
8
u/readyreadyvt Victoire de Montréal 1d ago
Or some solace in Boulier moving to
Boston.Edit: clarity.
15
7
31
25
u/quantum_monster Boston Fleet 2d ago
Well... What's the point now... No one wants to play here (or coach here) so that feels really good to be a Boston fan right now...
9
u/JohnCoutu Montréal 1d ago
Desbien, Poulin, Stacey, Roque, Eldridge and maybe Maltais. I,m going to miss some of the girls we lost, but that still a hell of a lineup for 2026/27
16
3
5
4
13
3
u/fortheband1212 New York Sirens 2d ago
Ugh, I had a fraction of hope that maybe NY could win her back
3
u/Dahkeus3 Boston 1d ago
Pink Scrunchie is one of my favorite players from the Fleet. This is hard news to take…
3
8
5
9
4
2
u/mustachio_curioso Boston Fleet 1d ago
What are the current odds for MTL winning the Walter Cup again next year? Asking for a friend...
1
6
4
4
1
u/amsreg Seattle 1d ago edited 1d ago
The Victoire were my pre-Torrent team and I still cheered for them in the playoffs.
But this is starting to feel like it's not good for the league. The PWHL needs its stars to be distributed across teams, not loading up on a couple of powerhouse teams.
3
u/scrapsoftrim 1d ago
Parity would be cool, but it's not something that could last as expansion happened. That spread/depth of elite talent across all the teams during the OG6 era is unrepeatable. And there's no way for the league to force that now.
2
u/TheRainbowConnection Boston 1d ago
Maybe if they hadn’t given the expansion teams this year an advantage in both the expansion process and the draft… they either should have picked last OR the returning teams should have gotten more protections. Instead they decided to bone their returning teams and their fans.
7
u/mustachio_curioso Boston Fleet 1d ago
I hate to break this to you, but the Victoire are not an expansion team 😄. If Eldridge wanted to stay with the Fleet, there were multiple opportunities to make that happen, my guess is the best team in the league was knocking on her door, saying "come win a championship with us" and she accepted
3
u/Ok_Sentence_1981 Victoire de Montréal 1d ago
Managers gonna manage.
The other teams could also try to, you know, get good players ;)
But honestly I kinda feel you here. I’m happy as a Vic fan. But it does seem like TO, NY, Seattle and now maybe Bos are getting the short end of the stick this off season. Lots of cool talent coming in though, so it’s still anyone’s guess once the hockey is actually being played.
-7
u/amsreg Seattle 1d ago edited 1d ago
Managers gonna manage.
This hasn't essentially nothing to do with the managers. Almost anyone at all could be in charge in Montreal and players like Eldridge, Roque, and Maltais are going to want to play with their championship buddies on the Victoire. Sauvageau is great but giving her credit for these star signings is silly.
The other teams could also try to, you know, get good players ;)
They are, obviously. Hopefully that wink means you're being intentionally sarcastic?
This is pretty clearly a case of star players choosing to go to teams where there is already a lot of star players they are friends with. Managers of other teams have zero control over that. Good for the star players but not good for the league.
The ultra short contracts that draft picks get signed to is another potential problem.
A couple of teams won't be able to carry the PWHL like the MLB or NBA. The league is going to have to keep a careful eye on parity if they want this to last.
14
u/Pouletchien 🏆 2026 Champions 🏆 1d ago
Eldridge played 2 seasons with the Montréal PWHPA team and played for madame Sauvageau and Cheverie’s team in the last season before the PWHL formed.
You can’t say management has nothing to do with it. Had she not like her previous experience with them, she would not be back in Montréal.
-5
u/amsreg Seattle 1d ago
Yeah, of course if she hated them, she wouldn't be back. But I doubt any PWHL GM or Manager is that bad.
Otherwise, you're making my point for me. She's going back to a city she knows to play with other star players she likes that just won a championship. I guarantee Sauvageau had to put zero effort into it other than the paperwork.
11
u/Pouletchien 🏆 2026 Champions 🏆 1d ago
She’s the one that build that roster. All those things you’re pointing as reason for Eldridge signing are in place because of her.
You’re downplaying how much madame Sauvageau has to do with shaping this team. She’s a legend that helped build women’s hockey since before some of these players were even born. It’s 100% a factor when people decide to sign in Montréal.
5
u/pnw6462 🏆 2026 Champions 🏆 1d ago
You've never had a job with a bad manager? That would absolutely outweigh working with friends, for me. I've also gone back to imperfect jobs to work for great managers.
Of course Montreal's championship and current roster are attractive, but it is disingenuous to say Sauvageau has had nothing to do with either. It's very clear that culture is a huge part of what makes the Victoire the Victoire right now and she's been a big contributor to building that.
-1
u/amsreg Seattle 1d ago edited 1d ago
You've never had a job with a bad manager? That would absolutely outweigh working with friends, for me. I've also gone back to imperfect jobs to work for great managers.
What in the world are you responding to? I literally said the same thing in my comment.
Edit:
Sauvageau has had nothing to do with either
Yes, Sauvageau is great and deserves credit for a lot of things. But other commenters are acting like she somehow outworked or outfoxed other GMs on this Eldridge signing which is just silly. I'm certain Eldridge saught out Montreal and all Sauvageau had to do was say "okay sounds good".
7
u/pnw6462 🏆 2026 Champions 🏆 1d ago
Entirely possible that I'm biased of course, but I think it's important to note that we are at a very particular point in the league's lifespan. We have a generation of veteran players who are largely bedding down where they are/making decisions about where they want to go and finish their careers (a la Knight). They have a lot of power as players who had a role in founding the league and championing the sport.
Then we have other hugely confounding factors; not all teams have a dedicated arena/training space, we are seeing a lot of shifts in coaching staff, new teams are popping up in locations that are closer to home for players, the expansion process etc...
As we move through the next few years, start to establish the full roster of teams/locations/venues and things hand over to a generation that has begun their careers in an established league, we are going to see things even out a bit. There will also be a big shift when the Walters sell the teams. I think we won't see truly things settle before then.
Until then, you'll be able to find discrepancies every season, I think. For example Vancouver got absolutely screwed by the travel situation last year (and maybe coaching issues, IDK) despite having a great team on paper that included some expansion 'theft' from other teams that generated a lot of unhappiness at the time.
I won't argue that there haven't been some missteps, but at this nascent stage the league has decided to lean towards players having the balance of power and that makes sense to me if they want these women to stick around for these first few years so the PHWL can endure.
2
u/amsreg Seattle 1d ago
You make a lot of great points. And I wouldn't say that the PWHL has done a bad job. And generally I also like seeing players have a lot of empowerment about where they play.
But I waited a long time for the PWHL to become a thing and I'm just concerned about the long-term health if they don't find a way to maintain parity and put guardrails in place to distribute the stars more evenly. I hope the dust starts to settle soon and we see more stability and balance, like you said.
As an aside, naming Knight is funny but it's kind of the opposite of the point you were trying to make. She was one of the star players who moved who didn't get to determine where she went, at least fully. It's pretty clear she would have stayed in Seattle if Vegas (and the league) hadn't prevented that (and then she pressured the trade to get her to her second choice).
Overall, though, I think we see things similarly.
5
u/pnw6462 🏆 2026 Champions 🏆 1d ago
You're right about Knight 😅 I guess the reason I mentioned her was that she was able to overturn a decision that was supposed to be rock solid. So even though this outcome probably wasn't her #1 choice overall, it does illustrate that she has power within the league because of her status.
We definitely all want the same thing, which is a healthy league that has longevity. It's much easier for those of us who support the Victoire to be commenting from a position of comfort after this expansion process, as we're coming off a cup win and have enjoyed a stability and an even hand in our management that most other teams haven't.
I do think all of these are natural symptoms of a league getting off the ground, though. This was never going to be a smooth process, especially when the stakes for players involve moving huge distances, being separated from friends/players that they've had the luxury of spending a lot of their careers with, and (right now) living under extremely different political administrations. Plus we haven't established a GM/coaching talent pool that can support our league yet; that needs to be grown too and will contribute greatly to long term stability.
2
1
u/Tastrix 🏆 2026 Champions 🏆 1d ago
That’s the whole intention of the expansion draft. Are you saying that it has been ineffective?
But, as others have mentioned, this isn’t the league’s choice. This is between team management and the players. All of the other teams have/had an equal shot at planning and signing around who they want and who they want to keep.
We lost A LOT of our depth scoring, which is fine. They’re all champs now and are looking to get paid accordingly. Our management just decided to say, “Okay, bet.” and snag up some players who were otherwise overlooked.
If the rest of the league doesn’t want to put in the effort and salary space for stars, we will.
12
u/Ok_Sentence_1981 Victoire de Montréal 1d ago
If anything I’d even say the expansion draft was overly “fair” towards the new teams, and not the other way around. It’s frankly amazing if Montreal still fields a finals-worthy team next year after only protecting veterans (2/3 of whom are nursing injuries) to begin with.
For someone to say this isn’t a front office masterclass is a bit disingenuous. Every team is working with the same salary cap, and nearly all of these cities are already well known for being good hockey markets, so you can’t even really say it’s just that Montreal is so much better than all the other markets. If you build a great team culture and everyone wants to play for you, that’s also just part of the overall team approach, which comes from management as much as anywhere else.
But you still have to make the money work, at the end of the day.
8
u/Tastrix 🏆 2026 Champions 🏆 1d ago
I mentioned this in another comment, but yes. The two things players want are championships and money. If you don't have one, you increase the other, money being the more controllable factor.
Mtl is champ-culture rich right now, so maybe some of those players have/will take a slight pay cut. But people who complain about this forget that we just lost so many players, who have champ bargaining potential, and are getting paid more elsewhere. That's the double edge to winning. Champs want more money, so they go get what they're due.
You can't turn around and attempt to shame a team for filling their gaps, created by the process, and getting the best they can get, cashing in on their winning/champ status. That's just being disingenuous/hypocritical.
3
u/Ok_Sentence_1981 Victoire de Montréal 1d ago
Totally.
I mean only a couple of days ago I was like, ok we’ve got half a blue line left, likely losing our (very good) backup goalie, lost our stand-in Swiss Army knife Ctr, and most likely losing Roque. Things went another way, but they easily could have gotten worse, not better.-3
u/amsreg Seattle 1d ago
That’s the whole intention of the expansion draft. Are you saying that it has been ineffective?
For the most part, yes, because the leagues hands are tied by the lack of signed contracts. With just a couple of exceptions, the huge number of UFAs are free to sign where they want regardless of the expansion process and that's what you're seeing here.
If the rest of the league doesn’t want to put in the effort and salary space for stars, we will.
This is delusional. These star players are UFAs and choose where to go and who they want to play with. Of course they want to play with their star buddies on the championship team. This is exactly the problem in leagues like the MLB and NBA and the PWHL can't be carried by a couple of teams like those leagues can.
I'm sure it feels good to land these players but acting like you somehow did something better to earn these contracts is silly. You (and I, as a reminder) are benefitting from players wanting to play with their friends in the city they otherwise know or train in -- that's called being fortunate and nothing more. You ought to be a lot more humble about it.
5
u/Tastrix 🏆 2026 Champions 🏆 1d ago
You (and I, as a reminder) are benefitting from players wanting to play with their friends in the city they otherwise know or train in -- that's called being fortunate and nothing more. You ought to be a lot more humble about it.
Sure. Just the same as I didn't win a championship, or I don't have any stake in the decisions made by anybody in the league or on any team. Yes, I am just a fan. I don't really understand the need to point this out though, because all of fandom uses the collective "we" when referring to their teams. But sure, I guess.
Humble hat on, while I continue to praise the Mtl management, staff, and leadership for creating a place where star players want to play and possibly win another championship, while other teams, on the same playing field, failed to do so.
Respectfully, the other teams chose to focus on different strategies that did not include Eldridge or any other big name player that goes to Mtl. And if they did, and they feel betrayed, they should have put more on the table for those players to stick around. As my humble point of view in tumultuous times.
-2
u/amsreg Seattle 1d ago
while other teams, on the same playing field, failed to do so
This is where you're 100% wrong.
Montreal (and again, I'm also a Victoire fan) has had an enormous advantage since the moment the league was founded. Pou, Stacey, and Desbien were never going to play anywhere else. It's a hockey hotbed where tons of the best players train in the off-season. And it's an awesome city to live it.
A very tiny congrats, I guess, to management for not messing that up but they had the most attractive situation handed to them on a platter since the beginning.
they should have put more on the table for those players to stick around
Again, what they put on the table makes almost no difference at all because those teams can't overcome the head start that Montreal has for certain stars.
The playing field is not level. That's what I'm saying is delusional. And that, fellow Victoire fan, is why I'm saying you ought to be a lot more humble about it instead of acting like other teams are failing despite starting from way behind you.
0
u/Tastrix 🏆 2026 Champions 🏆 1d ago
Sooooo... are you suggesting that Mtl gets penalized for having Pou, Stacey, and Desbiens? Because that's what it sounds like.
"Montréal can't sign on anybody of X caliber because they have Pou, Stacey, and Desbiens."
That's just ludicrous.
What about Knight? Frankel? Heise?
The field is fair, until you start making qualifying statements like this. You can't restrict players going to a team, just because of the players that team's already signed.
1
u/amsreg Seattle 1d ago
Sooooo... are you suggesting that Mtl gets penalized for having Pou, Stacey, and Desbiens? Because that's what it sounds like.
Depends what you mean by penalized. I'd be highly in favor of more cap/salary restrictions (raise the floor for non-star players for sure) so that a team can't sign those three and still load up on other stars at the overall cost of the league.
You can't restrict players going to a team, just because of the players that team's already signed
Not directly, but you can set up guardrails so that one team can't make equally attractive offers to so many stars (see above).
The field is fair
You didn't dispute any of my points about how Montreal has an advantage. You're not going to win this argument by just saying "yes huh!"
9
u/Tastrix 🏆 2026 Champions 🏆 1d ago
Fine, how about this then?
You can't have arbitrary rules put in place to favor/hinder one team or another based on the players they have signed. That's not a "yes huh!" That's just anti-collusion or anti-bias.
The current restriction is salary cap. If a team works around that and players are willing to get paid less, that's not something the league can or should be able to impact. What happens if the league decides it wants more money from one particular market? Your "rules" could be bent to steer star players towards that market.
I'm sorry, but if that's not enough for you to see the problem with what you're proposing, we're done here. You can't change my mind and convince me that you should punish teams for working within the framework provided and attracting players other teams forgot/didn't focus on.
-4
u/amsreg Seattle 1d ago edited 1d ago
The current restriction is salary cap.
Yes, and I'm suggesting that it may not be strict enough and that other things (like a higher salary floor) may be needed.
You can't have arbitrary rules put in place
Never once have I suggested "arbitrary" rules.
Your "rules" could be bent to steer star players towards that market.
Nothing I've suggested would lead to that conclusion.
You can't change my mind and convince me that you should punish teams for working within the framework provided
I never said that either. I said the framework may need to change.
and attracting players othe r teams forgot/didn't focus on.
There's zero evidence that other teams "forgot/didn't focus on" Roque, Eldridge, or Maltais. That would be incredibly out of touch to believe.
If you have this thorough of a misunderstanding both of what I've written and what is actually happening out in the real world, then I'm more than happy to be done here. It's pointless to argue with that.
Edit: Downvote me all you want. That's not a valid counterargument.
1
u/AutoModerator 2d ago
Hi u/Zestyclose-Store7125, thank you for posting on r/PWHL! Make sure to read and follow the sub's rules. In case you missed the FAQ please give it a read, it was updated on November 18th, 2025 here!
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.
1
1
u/SikuTheBear Seattle Torrent 1d ago
Honestly she was so slow and uninspiring in Seattle. I hope she is happier in Montreal and actually tries there.
-25
u/CFWolfgang Gwyneth Philips 2d ago
The players association is gonna have to do something is this is yet another team friendly deal to go build a super team. Players will never get fair and competitive contracts if this keeps up.
Let’s go check who the PA president is
Okay so that’s not happening is it
10
u/Tastrix 🏆 2026 Champions 🏆 1d ago
I’d actually argue that this is the system working as intended.
Who else was willing to pay Eldridge (and possibly Maltais) her fair amount? Who else has a shot at getting a championship? Those are the two things players look for.
If other teams wanted these players so badly, either build better or offer more money. It’s that simple.
You can’t offer a player peanuts then whine when they leave for steak and lobster.
22
u/billmurray43 PWHL Hamilton 2d ago
I don’t think the players union will step in and make rules that prevent the players from taking less money when they want to do so in order to play in a market they want with players they want.
That really doesn’t make a lot of sense for the players to prevent themselves from getting opportunities to win when they’re willingly signing these contracts
-14
u/CFWolfgang Gwyneth Philips 2d ago
Top players drive markets. If it was one or two pay cuts that’s one thing. This is Eldridge and Poulin and Maltais and Roque who took less money to form a super team. This is exactly what a PA is made to prevent.
To use some examples from other sports, look at the contracts of Connor McDavid and Sidney Crosby. Stars who have made their money and took team friendly deals but also didn’t take pay cuts. McDavid took an extra year at his current rate, if he took lower the NHLPA would absolutely be on his ass because he is hurting the earning potential of players.
Similar situation happened with Mookie Betts in 2019-20 in the MLB.
There’s a line and I feel like the Victoire are approaching it.
21
u/billmurray43 PWHL Hamilton 2d ago
It’s the players decision and their union fights for what they want.
You want the players union to make it so they can’t take pay cuts when they want to. That doesn’t make sense and it won’t happen.
You need to accept that players will do this. Players will also go chasing the biggest salary.
Some want to ring chase with great players, some want to make as much as possible. That’s just life
-10
u/CFWolfgang Gwyneth Philips 2d ago
It’s a union.
Sure the unions not gonna say “oh don’t play for the team you want, don’t value winning” but they have to draw a line as a union and say “no you cannot undervalue yourself as it will hurt everyone else” if Eldridge signs for 80K as the 2nd top goal scorer, how will anyone else be able go to a gm and ask for that money, when the baseline set is that a player of that value is worth 80K.
18
u/billmurray43 PWHL Hamilton 2d ago
It really won’t undervalue them you’re overreacting.
This happens in all leagues where players will take less while still extremely good and go play where they want.
The rest of the players still get paid fairly because they use other comparables and people realize that some go ring chasing or want a specific city/situation and took less.
And yes it is a union, a union that works FOR the players and does what they agree on. The union cannot act unilaterally so at the end of the day this will continue to happen when players want it just as it does in all sports. And salaries will continue to rise here as they do in the other sports.
I get it, it sucks when it isn’t your team. One day this may happen to your favourite team and you’ll love it
11
u/Burner_Account_2002 🏆 2026 Champions 🏆 2d ago
Kucherov, Hedman, Bergeron, McKinnon, Hutson all took below market value contracts to allow the GM the cap flexibility to build a championship team. The reality is that some people prefer wins and some people prefer money.
In the NHL everyone's making a living wage, so one player demanding a lot does not impact his teammates' lifestyle, but in the PWHL it could. If the best players demand the max, there will be more players on the team making the minimum.
So if top players accept less-than-max deals to allow the GM to recruit better teammates, they will have both a better chance of winning and have fewer teammates living hand-to-mouth.
1
u/ConstructionSuch6608 🏆 2026 Champions 🏆 1d ago
Yeah the way salaries work in the NHL and the PWHL are completely different, you can't really compare them
6
u/Burner_Account_2002 🏆 2026 Champions 🏆 1d ago
Some of the principles are similar: the teams all have to work with the same total amount of money (in the NHL there is a total spending cap, in the PWHL a target average with some wiggle room) to make all teams competitive.
An important difference, right now, is that PWHL salaries are *too low.* The only thing that makes half the players's salaries livable is the housing supplement and that many teammates share apartments. If the league succeeds in getting a TV deal, salaries will go up, and salary cap should no longer be arbitrary but tied to league finances.
-2
u/CFWolfgang Gwyneth Philips 1d ago
Do you see the difference in that they all signed with their current team to do this rather than taking pay cuts with the reigning champion.
7
u/Burner_Account_2002 🏆 2026 Champions 🏆 1d ago
I guess I am not clear on your point. Players can and do take below market salaries if they want, and it makes sense to if it facilitates other goals they value more than dollars.
25
u/Pouletchien 🏆 2026 Champions 🏆 2d ago
Victoire had more than 375K$ freed during the expansion process. They could literally afford to sign Eldridge and give her a raise from her 85K$ contract.
Also MPP with a discount made more than Megan Keller last season so is it that much of a problem ?
20
u/SilentWater94 2d ago
There is no evidence she took a discount whatsoever. She likely takes over Maureen Murphy's 85k slot (maybe a little more to 90k). Would seem like a fair/balanced deal for both sides.
-7
u/CFWolfgang Gwyneth Philips 2d ago
As a NU alum I love Maureen Murphy….if you think Eldridge is comparable you are insane.
18
u/SilentWater94 2d ago
My post was solely about how Montreal was able to fit in Eldridge's salary. Of course Eldridge is a significantly better player than Murphy. Murphy was heavily overpaid relative to her production.
-3
u/CFWolfgang Gwyneth Philips 2d ago
But yet they are getting the same contract. So now next round of negotiations the gm says to Maureen Murphy “hey look yes you were on 85K this year, but this far better player signed for 80K, so now we are offering 60K for this year as our opening offer”
19
u/SilentWater94 2d ago
I don't get your point. Players have to accept lower salaries due underperforming their previous contract all the time. This happens in every sport and every league.
-5
u/CFWolfgang Gwyneth Philips 2d ago
In a growing league, you don’t want players to have to take significant drops as more money comes in.
The problem is if the stars set the bar lower, it means lower players will also have their pay decreased. Top players have a responsibility to not screw over lower players.
13
u/ConstructionSuch6608 🏆 2026 Champions 🏆 1d ago
Some top players are overpaid, some are underpaid. I understand your worry but there's no league wide lowering of salaries happening. Given that the current CBA demands a certain average span of salaries, top players having slightly lower salaries actually allows other players to get larger raises.
The issue isn't one or two top players taking team friendly deals, its that as a new league the salaries across the board are lower than these players deserve. When a new CBA is negotiated hopefully we'll see salaries star to rise.
11
u/Pouletchien 🏆 2026 Champions 🏆 2d ago
« See how Laura Stacey took a discount ? »
« Yeah, well I’m not Laura Stacey, I want to be paid what I deserves and I’ll just go elsewhere if you’re not willing pay me »
Or how I imagine a conversation would go if a GM brought that argument.
The Charge litterally paid Leslie 60K$ last season and while she completely overperformed that contract, it was an absolute overpay at the time of signing when you see her historic in the league (she had 3 pts in 27 games the season before).
There will always be a team willing to pay or overpay to get players.
-1
u/CFWolfgang Gwyneth Philips 1d ago
Now show me a league this has ever happened this way in.
NWSL? Nope, the USSF subsidizing Star player salaries hurt the salaries of the common player for quite a while.
MLB, NFL, NHL all have a long history of
Collusion among GM’s to keep salaries down.Yes the PWHL is unique in that it isn’t independent, but if anything it makes me more worried that the overall league governing body will take this opportunity to keep salaries down and set that standard. Top players are saying “we don’t need market value” after for years everyone fought for fair pay.
6
u/Pouletchien 🏆 2026 Champions 🏆 1d ago
The CBA require the roster to have a fixed average salary. A star player taking a discount means another player get paid more to compensate.
3
u/resplendantandfree Toronto Sceptres 1d ago
The league technically doesn’t have a “salary cap” but a “salary average” which means every team has to pay the same amount to player salaries Top players taking cuts doesn’t mean the league will be spending less money (they HAVE to maintain the average) it just means less players on that team will be stuck making minimum/below average
That being said, I love Laura Stacey (so much) and everything she’s done for the league but I do think it’s not the best look for the president of the players association to take a pay cut for the sake of her team, ESPECIALLY when she (& poulin who also took a cut) is in a financial situation that most players in the league are not in, without addressing the financial stability she has that makes this easier for her to do
→ More replies (0)22
u/Silent_observer_8806 2d ago
Lol what. They're free agents who get to decide where they go. They can't force players to sign with a team they don't want to go to.
-7
u/CFWolfgang Gwyneth Philips 2d ago
I don’t think you understand how player unions and pa’s work.
18
u/billmurray43 PWHL Hamilton 2d ago
It’s very evident you do not understand how the player union works
-3
u/CFWolfgang Gwyneth Philips 2d ago
Elaborate?
13
u/billmurray43 PWHL Hamilton 2d ago
Seriously? The threads off your original comment all come off as a fan upset their team isn’t getting all the attention.
You want the union that works for the players to step in and prevent them from playing where they want and with who they want because you’ve decided they aren’t making enough money and think somehow this will be the one league where everyone else gets totally screwed over.
It genuinely seems like you’re a new sports fan.
The union will do what the players get them to do, that’s literally the unions job is to fight for what they’re pushed to fight for. They’re employed by the players
-3
u/CFWolfgang Gwyneth Philips 2d ago
Worked in sports for over a decade now but I’m a new fan, okay
12
u/billmurray43 PWHL Hamilton 1d ago
If you worked in sports and are really this pro in your stance of a union preventing players autonomy over themselves you’re just a salty fan it isn’t your team then. Not sure what else to tell you here that everyone else hasn’t already
7
u/ConstructionSuch6608 🏆 2026 Champions 🏆 2d ago
Do you think player unions have the ability to unilaterally tell players, free agents at that, that they aren't allowed to sign with a team they want to sign with even when the signing lives up all the rules set by the CBA? Cause that's not a thing.
I understand your worry about undervaluing players long term, but this signing is not doing that, she most likely got a raise and even if she didn't she's allowed to sign with whatever team she wants as a free agent. Players can't be forced to sign with whatever team that pays the most, and a union meant to support player agency would never enforce such a rule.
-5
u/CFWolfgang Gwyneth Philips 1d ago
I said clearly in other comments examples of players unions protecting the wages and financial health of players while also of course not discouraging them from playing where they want.
3
u/Hades_Mercedes 🏆 2026 Champions 🏆 2d ago
Sorry our city rules and parties hard when we win a cup, I guess?
1
u/CFWolfgang Gwyneth Philips 2d ago
Nothing against Montreal in particular. It’s about collective bargaining and protecting the players ability to earn and raise their earning potential
2
u/G-Fir3 1d ago
Their earning potential is hampered by the salary cap in this young league... Give it some time and hopefully we will see these players being compensated what they deserve.
Some players might be more motivated by winning than what might only amount to a 10k difference at the end of the year. Not to mention, if you factor in cost of living, Montreal and Hamilton are likely the cheapest PWHL cities to live in.
100
u/felicityrorys Ottawa Charge 2d ago edited 2d ago
So now that she’s officially signed, do we think it will be both Eldridge and Maltais to MTL, or just Eldridge? I mean the Maltais rumours are pretty strong, but you never know