In the off-season there aren’t as many articles that really warrant a lot of discussion. Mike Murphy’s article for Fanrag hints at an issue that sometimes gets neglected when we talk about the professional leagues. There’s a lot of talk about how little players get compensated in either league. There’s not a lot said about the volunteers.
The CWHL runs on volunteers. Whether it’s unpaid interns doing something for university credit or fans who just want to help out, most of the staff you see around the rink likely aren’t getting paid. I can’t speak to the NWHL, but considering the reported state of their finances, I assume there are a fair number of volunteers keeping things going as well.