|
Introducing Women's Hockey coverage on Hockeybuzz! |
|
|
|
|
|
For those who are unfamiliar with my work as a Montreal Canadiens blogger, I became a hockey fan in the 1980’s. Hockey captivated me as I became hooked when the Canadiens won the Stanley Cup in the 1985-1986 season. The speed, the jersey, the rivalries, the beauty of the brunt force of the game, the goals and the highlight reel saves, they all combined to make for the perfect sport. I even learned how to read by claiming the Montreal Gazette’s sports section at the breakfast table as the legendary Red Fisher’s words came to life. The Canadiens, Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux became my heroes.
At the time, I had no idea that girls could play hockey. In my world women’s hockey did not exist simply because there did not appear to be any. If a girl wanted to skate she was put into figure skating, something that I had zero interest in doing. Not that there is anything wrong with figure skating, it just was not for me. Media coverage of women’s sports were generally limited to the Olympics, tennis, gymnastics and the aforementioned figure skating. Occasionally during March Madness women’s basketball would be highlighted. That. Was. It.
The Women’s World Championship of Hockey in 1990 changed the landscape of hockey forever. For the first time, women’s hockey was being broadcast on television, inspiring girls to hit the ice with their sticks. Despite those awful pink Canada jerseys, women’s hockey was here to stay. Canada’s Vicky Sunohara, Angela James and USA’s Cammi Granato would become overnight heroes. The ultimate acceptance of women’s hockey came with the inclusion of the sport at the 1998 Nagano Olympic games. Team USA defeating Canada for the gold was the best thing that could have happened to the game as it created a true rivalry. The torch of women's hockey would be passed on to the great likes of Cassie Campbell, Hayley Wickenheiser, Julie Chu, Caroline Oulette, Hilary Knight, Marie-Philip Poulin and the list goes on.
With every Olympic cycle, the sport’s popularity grows by leaps and bounds as new players shine in the spotlight and the talent level only gets better and better. There are now two professional women’s hockey leagues in North America although whether they can continue to co-exist is still to be determined. The NWHL set lofty goals with being the first to have an annual salary for its players although it’s sustainability continues to be questioned. Meanwhile, the CWHL’s slow and steady approach is just that. Only the playoffs receive time on broadcast television. Unless there is an international tournament such as the Four Nations Cup or World Championship.
What women’s hockey does very well is making the game accessible and its players approachable. The leagues, teams and players are ever present on social media. Games can be streamed online. Coverage by the non-traditional sports media outlets have been especially outstanding. Co-operation between hometown CWHL, NWHL and NHL teams such as the Canadiens/Canadiennes, Toronto Maple Leafs/ Furies, Calgary Flames/ Inferno, Boston Bruins/ Pride and New Jersey Devils/ Riveters have led to a big brother / little sister dynamic. This is of the utmost importance as women’s hockey needs the support of the NHL if it has any hope of developing a permanent professional league akin to the WNBA.
With the support of the fine folks here at Hockeybuzz, I will now be blogging about Women’s Hockey in addition to my regular duties as a Canadiens blogger. I will be covering and giving updates about both the CWHL and NWHL as well as international tournaments. Features about various women in hockey will also be forthcoming. I am ecstatic to be creating another outlet in which these deserving women will be covered and hope that you will join along for the ride!
Cheers and follow along!
Join the Discussion:
»