Olympian Knight signs with NWHL Boston

[LadyStanley]

http://nwhl.co/hilary-knight-signs-with-the-boston-pride/

Nice. Lots of folks will be following more of NWHL because of this.

Click to read more...

 

[LadyStanley]

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nhl-p...on-pride--puck-daddy-interview-053620319.html

Interview with Puck Daddy

 

[Shootmaster_44]

http://nwhl.co/hilary-knight-signs-with-the-boston-pride/

Nice. Lots of folks will be following more of NWHL because of this.

It might give them a face to plaster in ads. But she was a Boston Blade in the CWHL last season and it certainly didn't bring more people to the rink.

I'm interested in seeing how the NWHL does this year, but the CWHL still has the majority of the top Canadian players. I guess women's hockey is akin to European soccer, where there isn't one clear cut top league.

I would think the CWHL partnering with the NHL clubs gives it a longer lasting chance than the NWHL which is simply the equivalent of low minor league hockey from the business side. I also think that if the Habs, Leafs and Flames see any benefit to the NHL business side, you might see other NHL clubs stepping into the CWHL. The problem with the NWHL is beyond Canadian players not good enough to crack the CWHL, US college players, a few internationals and the US National Team, few players will give up their careers in Calgary or Montreal and go play in Buffalo for $15,000.

I suspect players would be more inclined to follow Shannon Szabados and play in the SPHL, if they were going to jump. I realize Hillary Knight jumped, but she in a sense simply went across the street. She was a Boston Blades and obviously had a career starting in the Boston area, so it makes sense that if you will throw $15,000 at her to do the same thing she did for expenses, why not jump?

What I would like to see at the end of the season is a Clarkson Cup Champion vs. Isobel Cup Champion. I am curious whether the leagues will be on par or not. I suspect that top to bottom, the CWHL will be better simply because there is less drop off from the star players to the bottom of the roster than it appears to be from the rosters in the NWHL.

That all said, I am still supportive of the NWHL and hope they succeed too. Women's club hockey is not a top dollar draw, so having top level regional leagues is a great way to grow the game.