Last year, Dani Rylan wanted to bring a New York expansion team into the Canadian Women’s Hockey League, the home for women’s pro hockey in North America since 2007.
But by March, her aspirations had grown. Rylan, a former player at Northeastern, announced the formation of the National Women’s Hockey League, which says it will be the first North American hockey league to pay women a salary.
Over the last month, the landscape of women’s professional hockey has changed significantly. The two leagues, once potential partners, will now battle to sign the top talent, as players choose between earning money in the N.