highandwide
It's gold Jerry.
I didn't mean that funding would be women skills = men skills.
I was talking about the development of women as far as WOMEN are concerned, that if more money/opportunities presented itself that the talent would grow.
Should there be a Women's NHL/KHL?
- Thread starter robwangjing
- Start date
I didn't mean that funding would be women skills = men skills.
I was talking about the development of women as far as WOMEN are concerned, that if more money/opportunities presented itself that the talent would grow.
Siamese Dream
Registered User
You said maybe it's the main reason, it isn't.
Of course the talent would grow, that's obvious, but it will still be crappy quality compared to the men.
The only way to have a successful women's NHL is this: give the women's sport something that the men's sport doesn't have.
What would that something be?
There's one simple solution:
Every game is played outdoors.
Imagine if 15 cities all built special outdoor stadiums just for a new women's league that could hold a couple thousand people. If the sport gained popularity, more seats would be added.
After teams are established, the next step is to let the players vote on whether or not to allow checking. It should be their decision, not anyone else's. If checking is voted in, then after one season of having it, the players would vote on whether or not they want to keep it in the game.
Women's hockey CAN be almost as entertaining as men's hockey at times. When watching the Canada vs US gold medal game in the olympics this year, I was on the edge of my seat. I didn't care that men could beat them, because the players are still the best in the world from their gender. Whether or not men could beat them at hockey is irrelevant.
Make the outdoor rinks about more than just the games. Put some other stuff next to the rinks that you can only access if you have a ticket to the game: some skating rinks for kids, barbecue stands, a warming hut, a sports bar, a restaurant etc etc. I would totally love to go to an outdoor women's game, especially if it was turned into a real event like this.
Make sure the playoff structure is interesting. I swear, one of the reasons why MLS isn't more popular is because of its boring playoff format. A best-of-two series? Are you kidding me? How are you supposed to generate media hype around that? My area's minor league baseball team seems to have more fans care about the regular season than the playoffs. The playoffs are never hyped, and I'm confident it's because the championship round is a boring 2-3 format best-of-five (only the team hosting the last 3 games can actually win it at home, and the home field advantage is determined by whether it's an even or odd year! Seriously, the women's league CAN'T be lazy with its playoff format. A boring playoff format WILL make it harder to create hype around the sport.
What would that something be?
There's one simple solution:
Every game is played outdoors.
Imagine if 15 cities all built special outdoor stadiums just for a new women's league that could hold a couple thousand people. If the sport gained popularity, more seats would be added.
After teams are established, the next step is to let the players vote on whether or not to allow checking. It should be their decision, not anyone else's. If checking is voted in, then after one season of having it, the players would vote on whether or not they want to keep it in the game.
Women's hockey CAN be almost as entertaining as men's hockey at times. When watching the Canada vs US gold medal game in the olympics this year, I was on the edge of my seat. I didn't care that men could beat them, because the players are still the best in the world from their gender. Whether or not men could beat them at hockey is irrelevant.
Make the outdoor rinks about more than just the games. Put some other stuff next to the rinks that you can only access if you have a ticket to the game: some skating rinks for kids, barbecue stands, a warming hut, a sports bar, a restaurant etc etc. I would totally love to go to an outdoor women's game, especially if it was turned into a real event like this.
Make sure the playoff structure is interesting. I swear, one of the reasons why MLS isn't more popular is because of its boring playoff format. A best-of-two series? Are you kidding me? How are you supposed to generate media hype around that? My area's minor league baseball team seems to have more fans care about the regular season than the playoffs. The playoffs are never hyped, and I'm confident it's because the championship round is a boring 2-3 format best-of-five (only the team hosting the last 3 games can actually win it at home, and the home field advantage is determined by whether it's an even or odd year! Seriously, the women's league CAN'T be lazy with its playoff format. A boring playoff format WILL make it harder to create hype around the sport.
I'd say the better strategy would be to start the league with perhaps 6 or 8 teams at first and choose the locations so that travel by bus will be possible thus reducing travel costs a lot. A couple of teams in Southern Ontario, a few in Minnesota or Michigan for example.
JB51Hockey
51Hockey
- Nov 19, 2012
- 826
- 0
I don't know about you, but the vast majority of the hockey games I've ever seen have been featuring anything but the objectively best players in the world. There are about 150 000 registered female players in North America, and plenty of them would love to have a dream too.
Jussi
Registered User
A little late with this one but their league already offers high enough pay that the best players don't have to work in other jobs. Like I said before Finnish national team veteran Karoliina Rantamäki has played for a few years already for SKIF and she's got a fancy apartment there in a "wealthy area" and has a sports car in Finland. Even 60-100K per season would be more than enough for plenty of women hockey players.
The great thing is that you don't have to watch them. Probably you don't watch WNBA basketball either, but still they have a better average attendance than any hockey league other than the NHL. In hockey it surely wouldn't be quite as big, but definitely able to survive and even flourish if managed well.
Alessandro Seren Rosso
Registered User
Sorry for the bump, but after all Russia decided to organize a new, better women's league for next season. Read more here: http://thehockeywriters.com/russia-to-launch-new-womens-hockey-league/
BladesofSTEELwFIRE
Registered User
- Feb 15, 2010
- 1,570
- 3
Nice but it doesn't say if the players will be getting paid. I'm sure some of the best American and Canadian women will go over there.
BladesofSTEELwFIRE
Registered User
- Feb 15, 2010
- 1,570
- 3
I want to get this topic started up again and infact I want anyone who is interested in the idea to message me; you can sit here and say that gender equality is the wrong way to go but it's what will give it the draw it needs! He for She campaign was just launched and I know for my region (Nova Scotia, Canada) that our biggest tournament SEDMHA has just launched a plan for an all-female tournament in November. This is room for this and here's why:
- Female players want that dream.
- There is enough talent to do it.
- IIHF is attempting to better the program.
- There is a market.
- Where there is a market, there is interested businessmen.
- Women are starting to break the barrier.
- Teams would only need a 7-10 million dollar budget
- WOMEN WANT THIS!
Whoever is interested in this; throw me a message. I want to talk further.
- Female players want that dream.
- There is enough talent to do it.
- IIHF is attempting to better the program.
- There is a market.
- Where there is a market, there is interested businessmen.
- Women are starting to break the barrier.
- Teams would only need a 7-10 million dollar budget
- WOMEN WANT THIS!
Whoever is interested in this; throw me a message. I want to talk further.
BladesofSTEELwFIRE
Registered User
- Feb 15, 2010
- 1,570
- 3
The discussion should have ended there. It exists. End of story.
The link is... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canadian_Women's_Hockey_League
A few more links...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_Women's_Hockey_League
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Women's_Hockey_League
And...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russian_Women's_Hockey_League
edit/add:
wow
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:Women's_European_Ice_Hockey_Leagues
BladesofSTEELwFIRE
Registered User
- Feb 15, 2010
- 1,570
- 3
vorky
@vorkywh24
- Jan 23, 2010
- 11,413
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BladesofSTEELwFIRE
Registered User
- Feb 15, 2010
- 1,570
- 3
That link is in Russian and my cell won't convert it. The Hockeywriters link doesn't say if the women in the new women's Russian league will be paid.
vorky
@vorkywh24
- Jan 23, 2010
- 11,413
- 1,272
The russian link consists of statemenst of Tretyak (president of russian hockey fed), Medvedev (president of KHL) and Yashin who is head of new women league. All said it is great for russian women hockey to establish new league and KHL and FHR (russian hockey fed) will cooperate in this new project. There is nothing if women will be paid. I read more articles on this topic, but no article says if women will be paid.... IMO they will be, because even juniors (major juniors MHL) are paid, so why not women? IMO this women league will be copy of KHL more or less, so another reason to claim that women will be paid.
Rumplesnipeskin
Bar Down
Ultimately fans are going to pay an amount commensurate to the entertainment/skill level. That means that the quality of hockey would take a backseat to... NHL/KHL and all minor leagues; CHL Major Junior Leagues, USHL, Russia Junior Leagues, Mens D1 College Hockey.
I can't imagine it garnering more attendance than a D3 college game, as the skill, speed, and power (moreso the latter two) just aren't physically possible in females (let alone on a consistent basis) and in the womens game. Unfortunately, that also projects a scant availability of funds to pay the players.
I can't imagine it garnering more attendance than a D3 college game, as the skill, speed, and power (moreso the latter two) just aren't physically possible in females (let alone on a consistent basis) and in the womens game. Unfortunately, that also projects a scant availability of funds to pay the players.
NICKtheGREEK
ΜΑΛΆΚΑ
I'm sure some big sports network can throw a whole bunch of hype towards a Women's National Hockey League, but in the long run, it will fail, horribly.
What if they play 10 mins period between nhl periods ?
What if they play the first part in a Coldplay tour ?
What if they play the first part in a Coldplay tour ?
