For the 2023-24 season, each PHF team must sign 23 players – an increase from last season’s minimum of 20. That means we will see at least 161 players signed. As robust as that number may seem, it is an inescapable fact that players who are more than good enough to play at the pro level will go unsigned. Each and every one of those players represents a failure of opportunity and, maddeningly, wasted potential.
Of course, this is pro sports, and things like this are bound to happen. Any fan of the WNBA knows all too well that quality players regularly find themselves cut and without a job. Each instance of this is proof that there aren’t enough teams in the WNBA. The same can be said of the PHF regardless of the pending emergence of the PWHL.
So what can the PHF do to mitigate this rising tide of wasted potential? Something to consider is the evolution of practice squads into a developmental squad or team.
The Big Idea
Imagine each team having between eight and 10 players on developmental contracts. These players could be compensated similarly to the two “flex” contracts each team has and have a second career off the ice. They could practice with or after their corresponding PHF teams’ practices. That would give these players access to resources like skills coaches and film sessions. On the weekends, they could play scrimmages against local collegiate teams and each other.
To form teams, players on developmental deals from the Pride, Whale, and Riveters could form one team and the Beauts, Six, and Force players could form another.
You may have noticed that the Minnesota Whitecaps were left out of the above. That’s because they are geographically isolated and, let’s be honest, there are enough high-quality players (including former Whitecaps) in Minnesota to fill out a roster. One needs only look at the quality of play in the WCHA and the number of players who were on try-outs with the Whitecaps for the Battle of the Rig that later signed with Minnesota.
Admittedly, the above is an inelegant solution. Of course, we would be in a different place if the Whitecaps had a geographic rival or two but that is a story for another day. Still, a practice squad of 22 players doesn’t feel out of reach in the State of Hockey. It could serve as a proving ground and a place for players to develop with an established objective of earning a standard player contract and playing for the Whitecaps.
Development
The objective here is investing in development and therefore the quality of play and overall product. It’s easy for me to draw up a loose plan and sell the idea of a developmental league but this won’t come cheap. We’re talking about maybe another 70 players getting paid and ice time, insurance, travel arrangements, per diem, gear, etc. for all of them. That’s a check with a lot of zeros.
Is it worth it? It really could be. Over the years, we have seen too many promising careers end after college or after one season of pro hockey. For example, how many DIII players will get an opportunity to prove themselves at this level in today’s pro landscape? With the influx of European talent, I suspect we won’t see many at all. Chances are, we are going to see a decline in DIII and USports graduates getting opportunities because so much of today’s market is about prestige and reputation.
Without a developmental league, the options for players who don’t get a PHF contract are limited. If they don’t land in the PWHL, the options are playing pro in Europe or in a rec league to stay in shape and hope to turn heads at a training camp next year. That just doesn’t feel like enough. It doesn’t feel like a good system – too much talent and potential will fall through the cracks and the game is left poorer because of that.
Making it work
What if teams could only give PTOs to players on developmental contracts? Right now, teams can only do 10 PTOs in the regular season. What if those PTOs were reserved for players already practicing and developing in a team’s system? This would provide those prospects with a taste of the next level and give front offices an opportunity to evaluate them.
Incentives could also be built into this vision. For example, what if teams that sign a player who was on their developmental squad get a cap benefit for that contract – let’s say 85% of its dollar value counts against the cap? That could serve as a reward for those teams who develop their own talent and be a bridge to something akin to entry-level deals.
It’s important to note that this developmental league could and should be about more than giving up-and-coming pros a place to spread their wings. Veterans could extend their careers there and provide leadership to both prospects and the main roster. It could provide an option to players who can’t commit to multiple practices a week and the demands of today’s pro lifestyle.
It would keep more players on the ice. That, in and of itself, is a goal worth pursuing.
Reflections
By now, it should be evident that this is all a rough sketch – and that’s all it is meant to be. This is just one way the PHF could construct a farm system and establish a pipeline for the development of talent. There are other ways to do this and almost certainly better and more cost-efficient ways to create a structure for developing players.
I love the idea of teams having prospects that they are invested in and being rewarded for that investment. What I love even more is the idea of a wider net that brings in more talent, provides additional opportunities to play and train at a high level, and establishes a path to a living wage for playing pro hockey.
Hopefully, someone with a bigger piggy bank than I have loves it, too.