The Professional Women’s Hockey League started its first season this year primarily equipped by a mix of elite athletes, a billionaire financial backer, and a staff of experienced lawyers. With six teams spread across the U.S and Canada, the PWHL became the third endeavor to establish a North American pro women’s hockey league since 2007. Among the key figures behind the PWHL is Chris Burkett, a former Baker McKenzie partner in Toronto. Burkett is currently functioning as the PWHL’s vice president of league operations and compliance. In the months leading up to the inaugural season, Burkett was involved in intense negotiations to bring together the PWHL, which launched to a sellout crowd in Toronto on January 1st.
The PWHL was majorly backed by Mark Walter, co-founder of investment firm Guggenheim Partners and controlling owner of Major League Baseball’s Los Angeles Dodgers, and his wife Kimbra, both of whom are attorneys. Elysian Park Ventures LLC, a firm founded by their Dodgers ownership group that invests in sports startups, played a key role in supporting this initiative. Ami Galani, an associate at Hogan Lovells and Jenner & Block previously, and presently partner at Elysian, expressed that Goulston & Storrs corporate partner, Jonathan Calla, and Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman real estate senior associate, Samantha Sharma, are providing essential legal counsel to the PWHL.
Burkett, a litigator skilled in labor and employment law, has focused his role on game rules, players, coaches, and staff-related issues. In his prior positions at Deloitte and Baker McKenzie, Burkett made significant strides in advocating for proper pay for top female hockey players. His efforts were further cemented through his collaborative work with veterans such as retired Ballard Spahr litigation partner, John Langel. Additionally, law firms like Proskauer Rose and Cohen, Weiss and Simon played significant parts in representing players’ groups and corporate matters, respectively.
The PWHL’s first week showcased record-setting attendance, which coupled with strong legal and business infrastructure, gives the potential for exciting expansion. The PWHL is also reportedly receiving logistical and experiential support from the NHL. The league’s senior executives comprise well-equipped personnel such as Jennifer Flynn, a former top lawyer for MLB’s Boston Red Sox, and sports veterans like Brian Burke, the former president of hockey operations for the Pittsburgh Penguins, who serves as the executive director of the PWHLPA. As the PWHL continues to grow, it appears poised to become a lustrous addition to professional women’s hockey, promising fair pay and representation.
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