NHL Launching woman's league?

[CC97]

Article

The more hockey the better, I'd like to see a pro woman's hockey league, especially if the NHL is behind it -- legalise body contact and you got yourself a good game.

[Geoff]

might be a buyout of the NWHL?

[CC97]

might be a buyout of the NWHL?

I hope not, that league isn't too successful.

They would be better off starting from scratch, and try to get the rights to that Clarkson Cup.

[Shmee]

While I compeltely support the ideal of growing women's hockey in the United States, I'm not sure this is the best thing for the NHL to do right now. The NBA and MLS have already tried building women's leagues that have lost more money than they've made. Seeing as the NHL missed a year based on monetary issues, I can't see this being a smart move right now.

If all the teams are going to be placed in Canada, where women's hockey is already very popular, I can see it being more successful.

[Dilbert]

HOCKEY CHICKS! SCORE!

[cappital92]

MLS didn't back the WUSA.

[Shmee]

MLS didn't back the WUSA.

After reading more, apparently they didn't. My apologies. I could have sworn that the MLS was one of the largest investors.

[Stampman]

I like watching women's hockey--it may not be as fast as the NHL, or men's games in the Olympics--but it's still entertaining.

And in Nagano the women's games were actually more entertaining than the men's.

In Salt Lake the men's games picked up in excitement and the women's were marred by poor officiating--but still fun to watch.

If they do start something it should be a small league--at leats until there are more women's players who can play at a higher level.

[Gamingboy]

I wouldn't be surprised if this is just a preliminary measure in case they ever do do a Women's league. OR they just don't want someone doing the name WNHL. I'd imagine that NFL and MLB hold the trademarks for WNFL and WMLB.

[randyc]

I don't know about everyone else, but I hope this happens. It most likely would be successful with the majority of the teams in the states, considering the NHL is the 32nd most popular sports in America. So, have a couple teams in the Northern Hockey States, like Minnesota, and have maybe a 12 team league with 6 in each division. Also, do you think they'd go in somewhat of the same direction as the WNBA, for example, have a team in Vancouver, and have the same colours, and the team name along the lines of Canucks? Or do you think they'd go their own way with their identity?

EDIT

maybe the league would look something like this?-

West Division

Vancouver

Calgary

Edmonton

Winnipeg

Denver

St. Paul/Minneapolis

East Division

Toronto

Ottawa

Montreal

New York

Pittsburgh/Philadelphia

Detroit

[slapshot]

I think more people are interested in women's basketball than women's hockey. And everyone can see how poorly the WNBA has been doing in ratings and attendance. What makes you think women's hockey will do any better? At least with women's basketball, it's a bit more widespread than just the US and Canada.

[Pat]

This doesn't seem like a smart move at all. Maybe the NHL doesn't realize but their not even on the radar in the US, and thats where the money is. The NBA is far more popular and succesful and that doesn't make the WNBA good at all. Actually the WNBA is a major flop, so I can't see the WNHL succeeding at all.

[Mings]

I never thought someone would rip off the old Indianapolis Ice logo.

Thats alright, cause the new team is awesome (well as awesome as amatuers get) and Flynn's logo kicks ass.

[SNBSlugger]

It's easily gotta be better than the WNBA.

I sat down and watched some Women's puck the last olympics. It actually was pretty good.

[scottywazz]

I talked to the NWHL commish a while back and she said she had close ties to Gary Bettman and all that jazz. With the restrictions that Hockey Canada is putting on who can play in the NWHL, I wouldn't be surprised to see the NHL absorb the league and make it their own.

[deets]

i would imagine such a league would fold faster than the xfl

[Gamingboy]

i would imagine such a league would fold faster than the xfl

So.... 5 minutes?

[Puck]

I don't know about everyone else, but I hope this happens. It most likely would be successful with the majority of the teams in the states, considering the NHL is the 32nd most popular sports in America. So, have a couple teams in the Northern Hockey States, like Minnesota, and have maybe a 12 team league with 6 in each division. Also, do you think they'd go in somewhat of the same direction as the WNBA, for example, have a team in Vancouver, and have the same colours, and the team name along the lines of Canucks? Or do you think they'd go their own way with their identity?

EDIT

maybe the league would look something like this?-

West Division

Vancouver

Calgary

Edmonton

Winnipeg

Denver

St. Paul/Minneapolis

East Division

Toronto

Ottawa

Montreal

New York

Pittsburgh/Philadelphia

Detroit

I'd like to see the loss of either Detroit or Philly and the addition of Hartford. Better geographical rivalry, less travel cost for divisional play, pull upon Ivy league area teams to start with, and in the EXTREME case, another method to guage if the Hartford area is a viable pro team area or not.

Also, what I like about the NBA and WNBA packaging is that the two leagues basically partner up on. The MLS and WUSA should have something like that as opposed to being two similar sports leagues. The best thing trying to fund a women's pro league these days would be to offer the womens league as a suppliment to the mens league fans.

"We know you happen to enjoy our sport, but when we're in the off season, you might actually like this package we offer." Hockey played in the Summer...that might be an interesting gimmick for one season.

[Bleujayone]

I don't know about everyone else, but I hope this happens. It most likely would be successful with the majority of the teams in the states, considering the NHL is the 32nd most popular sports in America. So, have a couple teams in the Northern Hockey States, like Minnesota, and have maybe a 12 team league with 6 in each division. Also, do you think they'd go in somewhat of the same direction as the WNBA, for example, have a team in Vancouver, and have the same colours, and the team name along the lines of Canucks? Or do you think they'd go their own way with their identity?

EDIT

maybe the league would look something like this?-

West Division

Vancouver

Calgary

Edmonton

Winnipeg

Denver

St. Paul/Minneapolis

East Division

Toronto

Ottawa

Montreal

New York

Pittsburgh/Philadelphia

Detroit

No hockey anywhere in New England? Blasphemy!

This area has some of the best women's hockey around.

.............................................................

Two Words:

Chick Fights

I've seen some pretty mean women even I wouldn't want to be on the business end of. And man do they hold grudges! I cannot speak for Olympic levels, but college and ametuer levels offer some bruising hits that would put men to shame. The biggest shock is that some of the biggest hitters on the ice are some of the most feminine off it.

[VitaminD]

This doesn't seem like a smart move at all. Maybe the NHL doesn't realize but their not even on the radar in the US, and thats where the money is. The NBA is far more popular and succesful and that doesn't make the WNBA good at all. Actually the WNBA is a major flop, so I can't see the WNHL succeeding at all.

I'm with Pat on this one.

The NBA is taking a bath financially on the WNBA, and they continue to try to hype the WNBA to the point of being obnoxious to the NBA fan base. It's not working on the scale they'd have liked, and for all their efforts, it's not going to reap the dividends they'd hoped.

But the NBA is considerably stronger financially and culturally than the NHL, both in North America and even moreso abroad. The NHL would do well to shore itself up first before striking out on such a costly venture.