OT: Will women ever play in the NHL?

[MarkGio]

Since its pretty slow, I figured a lively OT discussion should be fun. I read this blog, and I wondered if ever a woman could play goalie.

Women seem like they would be a good goalie because they have strong hips and flexible lower bodies. What do you think?

Click to read more...

 

[Anglesmith]

I came here to say "looks like someone's been reading Eklund," then noticed you weren't trying to hide it.

I read this article too, and found the prospect interesting. My first reaction was "if Devan Dubnyk can make it, anyone can."

 

[SchultzSquared*]

Size is the great equalizer in net... I firmly believe we will see a 6'0-6'2 female goalie who is NHL quality... only a matter of time

 

[King In The North]

We'd have to accept the risks for say, goalie fights, players running into female goalies, female goalies getting injured from male players, etc. Also have to ask if there would be a referee bias. Also imagine the kind of trash talk these players would get, and how that would be portrayed by the media, especially as players/teams are increasingly getting mic'd up.

 

[MuffinMerc]

What do in changing room?

 

[Janks]

What do in changing room?

All nude?

Or separate area for the goalie to change.

 

[salsa man]

I don't see it happening for a LONG time.

 

[Guido Sarducci]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eri_Yoshida

I'd have to see women at least catch up in curling before I would be willing consider hockey.

I think a professional female pitcher is more likely than a female goalie. I saw her pitch in Calgary against the Calgary Vipers. Based on what I saw I doubt she made the team on merit, more a case of a bush league looking for publicity. But it shows that the potential is there.

I have also seen a female pitch in the WMBL. (Okotoks Dawgs league)

 

[MarkGio]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eri_Yoshida

I'd have to see women at least catch up in curling before I would be willing consider hockey.

I think a professional female pitcher is more likely than a female goalie. I saw her pitch in Calgary against the Calgary Vipers. Based on what I saw I doubt she made the team on merit, more a case of a bush league looking for publicity. But it shows that the potential is there.

I have also seen a female pitch in the WMBL. (Okotoks Dawgs league)

There's already been a female goalie. I'm curious if there could ever be something legit/permanent

 

[MarkGio]

I came here to say "looks like someone's been reading Eklund," then noticed you weren't trying to hide it.

I read this article too, and found the prospect interesting. My first reaction was "if Devan Dubnyk can make it, anyone can."

The blog provided stats on that one women who played for Minny College. She put up instant HOF numbers. Like stupid record breaking!!

 

[MarkGio]

We'd have to accept the risks for say, goalie fights, players running into female goalies, female goalies getting injured from male players, etc. Also have to ask if there would be a referee bias. Also imagine the kind of trash talk these players would get, and how that would be portrayed by the media, especially as players/teams are increasingly getting mic'd up.

This is a good point, but the men would have to adapt. The women wouldn't care, unless there was harassment and bullying.

I think a women like Haley Wickenheiser could've been a respectable 15 goal, 40 point scorer in the NHL. She would be no worse than Nigel Dawes IMO.

 

[MarkGio]

Size is the great equalizer in net... I firmly believe we will see a 6'0-6'2 female goalie who is NHL quality... only a matter of time

The biggest hurdle is having more development leagues for women, especially internationally where women are eligible to play in a men's league.

 

[InfinityIggy]

Before I think we really see it happen, we would have to see greater development in terms of womens junior leagues.

 

[GetThePuckOut]

It'd be funny if she was the dirtiest player in the league, and nobody could do anything about it.

 

[Ace Rimmer]

This is a good point, but the men would have to adapt. The women wouldn't care, unless there was harassment and bullying.

I think a women like Haley Wickenheiser could've been a respectable 15 goal, 40 point scorer in the NHL. She would be no worse than Nigel Dawes IMO.

She didn't come close to those kinds of numbers in the Finland / Swedish lower leagues.

The ability gap between men and womens hockey is way, way too large right now. I doubt I'll see a female NHL player (that's not a circus sideshow) in my lifetime.

 

[DouglasQuaid]

The Canadian Olympic Women played in the AMHL (midget AAA boys) to tune up for the Olympics this year, and went 3-11-4. In a 19 team league, that pace (they obviously haven't played a full schedule) puts them in 16th or lower. With the Canadian and American women simply on another level compared to other women's programs worldwide, I'd say no is a safe answer for the foreseeable future.

 

[Calculon]

Yeah, definitely not any time soon.

Some time before the Vancouver Olympics, the Canadian Women's team faced off against a boys high school team (which just so happened to have Phaneuf's brother playing for them) and lost fairly badly.

The talent and physical gap is just way too big.

 

[Richi]

The Swiss Olympic netminder Florence Schelling (64 saves in a 5-0 loss to Canada) plays men´s hockey in Switzerlands third highest league. Just because the competition isn´t there in any women´s league. She´s also played for a university team in the US (Northeastern University) and has put up very decent numbers. Her debut in the National team was at the age of 13...

In my opinion she´s definitively one of the best female netminders of the world but her level is just not high enough to play in any kind of major league.

Maybe some day we´ll see a female goaltender in the NHL, who knows, but certainly not for the next 10-15 years. I think women have better chances in sports like soccer or baseball...

 

[Roughneck]

Before I think we really see it happen, we would have to see greater development in terms of womens junior leagues.

Not really. If you're a female goalie looking at an NHL path, you're playing on the men's side, just like Canada's two best female goalies did (AJHL and QMJHL).

 

[InfinityIggy]

Not really. If you're a female goalie looking at an NHL path, you're playing on the men's side, just like Canada's two best female goalies did (AJHL and QMJHL).

That's worked out great for all the female goal tenders in the NHL right now...

 

[Roughneck]

That's worked out great for all the female goal tenders in the NHL right now...

So it's your opinion that if a female goalie were to make the NHL, she would do so playing against women and not in the same development leagues as say, NHL players?

 

[Johnny Hoxville]

For it to happen there would need to be a female equivalent to Sidney Crosby in terms of athletic ability and hockey IQ. If that were to ever happen, it may really change things in developmental leagues all over and open new doors.

My 1 year old daughter is going to be likely around 5'11-6'0, and I fully plan on pushing her hard in hockey. Physically she will be bigger than many boys her age. Her boy cousins are around the ages of 4-5 and are already into hockey extensively are participate in numerous hockey camps on top of Timbits, it'll be interesting to see how she progresses compared to them. I wanna get her on skates shortly after she walks lol. I can't get over how advanced my brothers boys are already. His youngest just turned 3 and he can already wrist the puck consistently into the net about 20 feet out on the ice, he has a rink in his backyard.

My point is, if you try and develop a girl early on, and give her the same opportunities boys get, I think a lot is possible if you start right away. Any child needs to be gifted as an athlete, but drive and work ethic are equally if not more important. To me I get more excited about watching kids play and develop in sports than I was to play sports when I was younger. Teaching youth the game and helping them improve is more fun than I can describe.

 

[InfinityIggy]

So it's your opinion that if a female goalie were to make the NHL, she would do so playing against women and not in the same development leagues as say, NHL players?

No.

I am saying that until there are well established womens junior leagues, and this includes broader youth programs as well, we won't see many women who are even good enough to make CHL teams. Ideally you would have women's leagues where the best players would be good enough to cross over to CHL/NCAA ect.

You are putting the cart ahead of the horse here.

 

[Anglesmith]

No.

I am saying that until there are well established womens junior leagues, and this includes broader youth programs as well, we won't see many women who are even good enough to make CHL teams. Ideally you would have women's leagues where the best players would be good enough to cross over to CHL/NCAA ect.

You are putting the cart ahead of the horse here.

I don't know if we're asking whether women will become regular players in the NHL game; I think it's more if one exceptional woman could become part, and for that, you wouldn't need entire leagues for developing women, you would just need one exceptional woman put on her own special development path. ie playing boys juniors etc.

 

[slappipappi]

I think a women like Haley Wickenheiser could've been a respectable 15 goal, 40 point scorer in the NHL. She would be no worse than Nigel Dawes IMO.

A number of years ago the Canadian women's national team played a Mac's tournament midget team who was about average and lost (IIRC) about 7-1.

Wickenheiser is so far from being even a very poor NHL player it's not even debatable.