Three Ottawa Charge forwards in top 10 as PWHL players association releases salaries

Montréal Victoire's Amanda Boulier (44) defends Ottawa Charge's Emily Clark (26) during the second period of Game 1 of the Professional Women's Hockey League Walter Cup finals in Laval on May 14. Photo by EVAN BUHLER /POSTMEDIA

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Three Ottawa Charge forwards are among the highest-paid players in the league as the PWHL Players Association has disclosed player salaries to the public for the first time in league history.

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“It includes all players under contract at the time of publication and is intended to promote transparency regarding player compensation across the league,” the guide states.

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All figures are in U.S. dollars and do not include bonuses, incentives or other forms of compensation.

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Across the league, 10 players made more than $100,000 this past season and at the top of that list is Charge forward Emily Clark, who earned $126,090, followed by New York Sirens forward Sarah Fillier, who pulled in $125,000.

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The Charge was the only team with three players above the six-figure mark in the 2025-26 season. Montreal was the only other team with multiple $100,000-plus salaries with Abby Roque ($116,699) and Marie-Philip Poulin ($110,216) both over that threshold.

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Charge captain Brianne Jenner was the third-highest paid player in the league and second-highest on the team at $122,003, then Gabbie Hughes earned $106,000, good for tenth-best in the league. Behind her is star goaltender Gwyneth Philips at $91,200.

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What is the league’s average salary?

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But the differences between the league’s top earners and the average player pool is difficult to ignore. That includes on the Charge roster, where eight players were making $40,000 or less this past season.

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With the exception of Ottawa’s two top picks Rory Guilday ($50,000) and Anna Shokhina ($43,500), whose contract was taken over by Vancouver following a January trade, the remainder of Ottawa’s 2025 draft class earned $40,000 or less in their rookie seasons. That includes Charge breakout stars Sarah Wozniewicz and Fanuza Kadirova.

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Previously, the PWHL only publicly disclosed the minimum salary, $37,131.50, and average player salary, $58.349.50, for the 2025-26 season, as outlined in the league’s collective bargaining agreement. Each year, the minimum salary increases by 3%, bringing it up to $38,245.45 for next season.

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Before the official release, there was lots of talk across the league about if and when salary numbers would be made public. In March, The Hockey News published salaries from the 2024-25 season and cited sources “involved in the PWHL,” which players union president Laura Stacey later told the media was a “bit of a shock.”

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What does this mean for women’s sport?

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The decision to make PWHL salaries public after three seasons is a substantial move for transparency and advocacy in professional women’s sports and it could become a precedent in other pro women’s leagues in years to come.