Roughneck
Registered User
A 2 game sample size means absolutely zero. Really not worth commenting on. The fact they scored 10 and 12 goals in both games tells me about all I need to know about the games themselves. I am really not sure what the point is here, as I never said that the best group of female players in the world was better than any group men. My point is that the gap is shrinking.
Wow.
10 wins-12 losses in the 2005-06 centralization period, 12 wins-19 losses in the 2013-14 centralization period against Alberta Midget AAA teams.
So in relation to what is the gap shrinking?
EDIT: I decided I should also look at the 2009-10 centralization series and it seems they did much better that time around. 20 wins and 11 losses.
No, most of the examples are not men's professional leagues, most are semi-professional but I also never said they were pro leagues, so I am not sure what your point is there?
Because then it doesn't matter. The number of players on Canada's national team who played men's hockey at any point growing up has gone DOWN since Nagano because they don't need to play in men's leagues anymore (and don't want to). We might as well include all the women who play in some higher end beer leagues if we're counting the second French division or Eredivisie (or "ENL") as anything worth talking about.
Since google is beyond your reach here are some quickly found examples, there are lots, all these are pre 2008:
Hayley Wickenheiser - Salamat
The only legitimate example of a skater playing in a semi-professional league based on merit.
Christine Duchamp - Hockey Club de Cergy-Pontoise
2 games in a second tier French league. Nothing since.
Michelle Karvinen, Rødovre and Finland's national team
Was going to play for them, didn't because she would have lost her NCAA eligibility.
Angela Riggerio - Tulsa Oilers
One game publicity stunt to play with her brother in a professional game.
Molly McMaster played for Adirondack Frostbite, Missouri River Otters, Quad City Mallards, Richmond Riverdogs, Roanoke Valley Vipers, Rockford IceHogs, Danbury Trashers, Flint Generals, Motor City Mechanics and Port Huron Flags of the United Hockey League. (mostly a 'stunt').
Mostly? It was a cancer fundraiser.
Shannon Szabados - goalie played in mens leagues at various levels. Grant MacEwan College Griffins Mens Hockey
While Szabados has the most diverse group of men's leagues on her resume, she would represent the sixth team Canada goalie to have played for one (Rheaume played a QMJHL game and a scattering of minor pro games, Sami Jo Small played on the Stanford men's team, Lesley Reddon played CIS, Kim St. Pierre played CIS, Charline Labonte played QMJHL).
In fact this is the first time in the over 20 year history of the women's national team that a goalie hasn't played men's college, junior or senior hockey as Genevieve Lacasse went from Midget AAA to women's NCAA. The end of an era.
Though the "next in line" for Canada did play in the AJHL as well before going to Harvard.
Angela Taylor - One of the top scorers in the ENL
Let's not go nuts, the scoring list doesn't go past 100 and she's still doesn't crack it (or top 100 English players. Or top 100 English forwards). Her 17 points were good enough to retire with as well, evidently.
While most of these leagues are semi-pro or high level amateur clubs, if you look back more than 20 years, there are pretty much zero examples of this in any well recognized league.
This is a pretty generous use of "recognized league". We also seem short on a lot of 'post-2008' examples, likely coinciding with the realization of being 'the first woman to play in...' for the sake of it not really being a thing people care about.
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