There’s a crisis in the world of hockey and to the surprise of many it has nothing to do with Gary Bettman (or the NHL lockout).
As hard as it is to believe, Bettman and company will eventually put their egos on hold, a new collective agreement will be reached, and in a few years the NHL will be stronger than ever.
Women’s hockey may not be as lucky.
At the 2010 Olympic Games in Vancouver, International Olympic Committee president Jacques Rogge hinted that women’s hockey may not have a future as an Olympic sport unless a more level playing field is established.
Canada and the United States typically dominate competition – no other nation has won an Olympic gold medal in women’s hockey – just as they did at this month’s Four Nations Cup in Finland.
In the round-robin portion of the tournament, the United States defeated Finland 15-1, and Canada defeated Sweden 9-0, before the two teams met in the final.
Women’s softball was scrapped as an Olympic sport for a lack of competitiveness, so any discussion about the same happening for women’s hockey should not be taken lightly. Such a decision will only create a larger gap between North America and the rest of the world.
That’s where the Canadian Women’s Hockey League comes in.
Founded in 2007, the five-team CWHL could very well be women’s hockey’s saving grace.
The CWHL hasn’t exactly inspired confidence thus far, but there’s hope for a more prosperous future after the Toronto Maple Leafs and Calgary Flames announced partnerships with CWHL clubs the Toronto Furies and Alberta Honeybadgers earlier this month.
The Leafs will invest $30,000 annually in the Furies organization for the next five years, while the Flames will invest $20,000 in the Honeybadgers for the next four.
While $230,000 over the next five years may seem like pocket change to some, it’s better than nothing.
The CWHL needs any help it can get. Attendance is low, media coverage is rare, and the league isn’t exactly swimming in money – its annual budget is about $700,000. Players don’t even get paid.
For the game to grow, such a league is needed to attract the best players from around the world. The only way players from other countries will improve is to have them train with and play against the best North American players.
It’s that simple.
These partnerships could also pave the way for other NHL teams to get involved (it’s not as if they have anything better to do at the moment).
The Leafs and Flames have pledged to promote their now-
affiliated women’s teams via social media and other means. It’s safe to assume most people hadn’t even heard of the CWHL before these partnerships, so the increased exposure will only help.
But there’s still a long road ahead.
The Canadian and American women’s hockey teams will likely roll through competition at the 2013 IIHF Women’s World Championship, which Ottawa is set to host in April. The same will probably be true at the next Olympic Games in 2014, but the IOC should remain patient.
Women’s hockey is still a relatively young sport. The first Olympic women’s hockey tournament was held in 1998. Growth will take time – just as it did with men’s hockey.
Canada won the first four men’s hockey Olympic tournaments. And in its first 16 years, only one nation other than Canada, the United States, or the Soviet Union captured gold – and even then, it was a Great Britain squad composed mostly of Canadian-trained players.
Look how far the sport has come.
Scrapping women’s hockey now will only hinder any progress that’s already been made, and prevent any progress that’s still to come.