Toronto Six’s Watts lands PHF record salary
TORONTO — Darryl Watts thought she had retired from hockey after a stellar NCAA career.
At Boston College, Watts became the first freshman to win the Patty Kazmaier Award as the top player in women’s Division I hockey. She recently finished her career at Wisconsin, ranking second all-time in NCAA scoring with 297 points in 172 games.
Last fall, the 23-year-old from Toronto was accepted into the University of Wisconsin’s masters commercial real-estate program after a summer internship in the field. But a week before returning to her alma mater in Madison, Watts changed her mind about what she wanted to do with her life.
“I backed out seven days before. My dad was so upset,” Watts told The Canadian Press on Wednesday. “He supports everything I do, and he was so supportive after he kind of got over it.”
The game-changer was the Premier Hockey Federation’s announcement on Dec. 14 of a salary-cap doubling next season to $1.5 million per team. Watts made public on Wednesday that her salary will be a league-record $150,000 in 2023-24, just days after the Toronto Six signed her to a two-year contract.
“That was the turning point,” Watts said. “The conversation with my family was playing women’s professional hockey is a very viable financial option and it can support a really great lifestyle for a 23-year-old. Why wouldn’t I pursue this and see what the options are?
“I’m also disclosing this because I hope this will attract other players, which will then accumulate into the establishment of one single professional women’s hockey league.”
Toronto forward Mikyla Grant-Mentis was the PHF’s highest-paid player heading into this season after signing an $80,000 contract with the Buffalo Beauts.
The seven-team PHF, with clubs in Toronto and Montreal, has upped the financial ante in its bid to be the North American women’s pro hockey league of record. Other teams in the league are located in Boston, Buffalo, New York; East Rutherford, New Jersey; Simsbury, Connecticut and Minneapolis.
The average salary this season is $34,000 on a 22-player roster, but pay ranges anywhere from $13,500 to the $80,000. Watts’ contract converts to $200,000 in Canadian dollars next season, a milestone in terms of raising the financial bar.
It’s also the PHF’s latest message to the Professional Women’s Hockey Players’ Association, whose 80-player membership includes stars Marie-Philip Poulin, Sarah Nurse, Hilary Knight and Kendall Coyne Schofield.
The PWHPA, which holds showcase games and tournaments, intends to start its own league at some point. The PWHPA players have refused to join the PHF, stating that if a player needs a second job to support themselves — and several have side gigs — that’s not the pro league they envision.
With the help of her father Michael, a corporate lawyer who acted as her agent, Watts entered into discussions and negotiations with PHF clubs. She said she was attracted to Buffalo for its proximity and the Boston Pride and the Connecticut Whale because they’re coached by former NHL players Paul Mara and Colton Orr, respectively
Last week, Watts stepped on the ice for the first time in 10 months for practice with the Six. She played in Toronto’s games Saturday and Sunday against Connecticut and had an assist. Her hometown team, which ranks second in the league at 10-2-2 behind Boston, won the Watts sweepstakes.
“Born and raised in Toronto, I had a special place in my heart for the Toronto Six,” she said. “I played high school hockey in Toronto. My family and my friends are here. Great downtown life and I’m a huge Leafs fan. Right now, I’m living in my childhood house, so life is pretty good.”
Despite an excellent first half to the season, Texas Rangers starting pitcher Nathan Eovaldi wasn’t selected as an All-Star this year, but the team made sure that he’ll be paid like one.
Despite the snub, Eovaldi was given the $100,000 All-Star bonus in his contract by the Rangers after he posted a 1.58 ERA with 94 strikeouts over 91 innings. Teammate Jacob deGrom, who was selected as an All-Star, also received a $100,000 bonus.
Eovaldi, in his 15th major league season, would lead the majors in ERA, but after missing a month due to a triceps injury, he fell six innings short of the necessary 97 innings to qualify among leaders for individual statistical categories.
Eovaldi, a two-time All-Star, won his third straight game on Sunday to improve to 7-3, giving up five hits and a run with eight strikeouts in 7 2/3 innings against the Houston Astros.
The right-hander ranks second only to Detroit Tigers ace Tarik Skubal among MLB starting pitchers in WHIP (0.85) and strikeout-to-walk ratio (6.71). Opposing batters are hitting a paltry .194 with a .237 on-base percentage, .286 slugging percentage and .523 OPS against Eovaldi.
Eovaldi is scheduled to make his first start of the second half at home on Sunday against Skubal and the Tigers at Globe Life Field.
-
Sports3 years ago‘Storybook stuff’: Inside the night Bryce Harper sent the Phillies to the World Series
-
Sports1 year agoStory injured on diving stop, exits Red Sox game
-
Sports2 years agoGame 1 of WS least-watched in recorded history
-
Sports2 years agoMLB Rank 2023: Ranking baseball’s top 100 players
-
Sports4 years ago
Team Europe easily wins 4th straight Laver Cup
-
Sports2 years agoButton battles heat exhaustion in NASCAR debut
-
Environment2 years agoJapan and South Korea have a lot at stake in a free and open South China Sea
-
Environment2 years agoGame-changing Lectric XPedition launched as affordable electric cargo bike