Bilic is first player from Connecticut Whale to depart over salary reductions

Connecticut defender Ivana Bilic is leaving the team after eight games. The league reduced player salaries in November.

A second player in the National Women’s Hockey League has decided to leave the league after the league cut salaries for the players. The NWHL announced Monday that Connecticut Whale rookie Ivana Bilic, 22, has left the league.

She played in final two games for the Whale over the weekend. Bilic had two assists in Connecticut’s 6-1 win over Buffalo on Saturday and helped the Whale beat New York, 4-2 on Sunday.

In mid-November, the league informed the players that they would be reducing their salaries to keep the league up and running. Players were making between $10,000 to $26,000 per year. Bilic, a rookie from Bemidji State in Minnesota, signed a one-year deal with Connecticut for $14,000 last summer.

The league hasn’t announced the amount of the reduction but various writers have reported that the reductions range from 50 percent to 65 percent depending on the salary. New York’s Morgan Fritz-Ward left the league earlier this month over the salary reduction.

In the wake of the November announcement, Dunkin Donuts immediately increased their sponsorship by $50,000 on the stipulation that it go to player salaries.

“We hoped every player would stay with us, but we knew there could be departures after the announcement of necessary salary reductions, and we respect and understand those decisions,” said Dani Rylan, the commissioner of the NWHL. “Ivana is an outstanding player and person and was a welcome addition to our league this season. We wish her all the best.”

Bilic is from British Columbia, Canada, and scored 61 points (13 goals, 48 assists) in her four-year career at Bemidji State. As a senior, she was the Western Collegiate Hockey Association’s defensive player of the year.

Bilic, who had four assists in eight games for Connecticut, is the first Whale player to depart. Several hundred fans came to the Northford Ice Pavilion on Saturday night to see the Whale play the first home game in their new facility. They played at Chelsea Piers in Stamford last season.

“It’s obviously hard to go through something like this in the middle of the season,” Connecticut’s Kelli Stack said Saturday night after beating Buffalo. “We’re trying to stay positive and focused on ourselves. We’re worrying about things we can control.”

Connecticut coach Heather Linstad said there have always been roadblocks in the growth of the game of women’s hockey. “It’s their livelihood. If you can’t make it because we’re cutting your salary, I completely understand. I respect those that have to move on but we’re hoping to keep everyone,” she said Saturday night.

“I think we’ve embraced it at this point,” Connecticut goalie Nicole Stock said. “Obviously, it’s not ideal but at the end of the day, we’re all playing for something bigger which is to look back in 10 or 15 years and say we started something. At the end of the day, we want it to work and we want it to be something that continues to grow.”

The Whale (4-4), who have won two straight games, return to the ice on Sunday for a 2:30 p.m. contest with New York.