When the Canadian Women's Hockey League (CWHL) collapsed earlier this spring, there was an undercurrent of players who weren't going to jump to the National Women's Hockey League (NWHL).
Now we are seeing a current of women players who won't play in any professional hockey league for the upcoming 2019-2020 season.
The list includes Canadians (Marie-Philip Poulin; Shannon Szabados); Americans (Hilary Knight; Kendall Coyne-Schofield); and others (Finnish goalie Noora Räty).
The NWHL says next season will happen. The league had agreed to expand to Toronto and Montréal. That expansion was not mentioned in the league's statement yesterday. The league would have to decide whether the remaining players would justify 5 or 7 teams.
Discussing the state of women’s hockey after massive boycott (via Rogers Sportsnet)
Gary Bettman says the National Hockey League won't get involved unless there are no women's hockey leagues. The demise of the NWHL would meet that threshold.
The NHL, under Bettman, has offfered pittances of funding: $50,000 for each league. An NHL individual fine often exceeds that amount.
The players are concerned about the viability of playing with no health insurance, little to no access to gyms and workout equipment, and salaries as low as $2,000. They are also concerned about future generations of girls in hockey.
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The CWHL had 6 teams: Calgary Inferno (2019 Clarkson Cup champions); Les Canadiennes de Montréal (2019 Clarkson Cup runner-up); Toronto Furies; Markham Thunder; Worcester Blades (MA); and Shenzhen KRS Vanke Rays (China). The NWHL has 5 teams: Boston Pride; Buffalo Beauts; Connecticut Whale; Metropolitan Riveters (NJ); and the Minnesota Whitecaps.
Women's hockey would be a lot better off than with a WNBA-type setup. The growth of hockey with women's hockey seems a no-brainer for the NHL but Bettman has struggled with the concept in numerous categories. The NHL support would lead to a better U.S. TV deal, possibly with NBCSN.
Unfortunately, the sacrifice of a lost season for some of the best players in the world is the price that will be paid. (Gary Bettman understands the concept of a lost season.) Hopefully, the lost season will produce a better result for very talented women's hockey players.
photo credit: #ForTheGame
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