NHL Announces 1st Women's Winter Classic Game

[Blackbeard]

Unfortunately, all US national team players will apparently be in Blaine this week, thereby diluting the desired effect...

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montre...omen-1.3381903

[Ted Knight]

Re: NHL Announces 1st Women's Winter Classic Game

Unfortunately, all US national team players will apparently be in Blaine this week, thereby diluting the desired effect...

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montre...omen-1.3381903

and they waited long enough to announce it don't you think?
pathetic.

[D2D]

Re: NHL Announces 1st Women's Winter Classic Game

One of the national networks (don't remember which) had a short feature on it yesterday at the end of their program.

[Eeyore]

Re: NHL Announces 1st Women's Winter Classic Game

and they waited long enough to announce it don't you think?
pathetic.

It's also abbreviated. They start at 2pm, and the NHL Alumni game starts at 3:30, so they may get a period and a half in.

[wwhyte]

Re: NHL Announces 1st Women's Winter Classic Game

It's also abbreviated. They start at 2pm, and the NHL Alumni game starts at 3:30, so they may get a period and a half in.

I heard two fifteen-minute periods.

[Genbeau]

Re: NHL Announces 1st Women's Winter Classic Game

It's also abbreviated. They start at 2pm, and the NHL Alumni game starts at 3:30, so they may get a period and a half in.

Now if they play with blue pucks, cross ice dividers and timed shifts then I'm really gonna be mad. Anyway, prediction is the NWHL triumphs 3-1.

[Call It]

Re: NHL Announces 1st Women's Winter Classic Game

Unfortunately, all US national team players will apparently be in Blaine this week, thereby diluting the desired effect...

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montre...omen-1.3381903

USA Hockey at it's best!! Wonder why the Girl's game doesn't grow outside of Minny?!

[Eeyore]

Re: NHL Announces 1st Women's Winter Classic Game

USA Hockey at it's best!! Wonder why the Girl's game doesn't grow outside of Minny?!

It depends upon when the NHL made the decision to have a women's game. Given how late it was announced, my guess is that USA Hockey already had its plans made before they found out about it.

[wwhyte]

Re: NHL Announces 1st Women's Winter Classic Game

It depends upon when the NHL made the decision to have a women's game. Given how late it was announced, my guess is that USA Hockey already had its plans made before they found out about it.

There's been a ton of discussion and regret about this in the women's pro hockey press. The National Camp has had its dates fixed for a year. It isn't clear to what extent the NHL knew that the national players wouldn't be available at the time they agreed to host the women's game -- whether they thought there was a chance, or thought the players were guaranteed, or weren't even aware of any risk. USA Hockey is being cast as the bad guys a lot because they haven't given the players releases, but they have their needs too. It seems like it might have been wise to involve them in the process earlier; on the other hand, if they'd dug their heels in early it might have led to the whole thing being canceled, and as it is even without the national players the Pride have a lot of very strong players who a lot of posters on this board have supported for some time (Emily Field, Jillian Dempsey, Blake Bolden, Brittany Ott, Casey Pickett, the amazing Rachel Llanes) and are temporarily drafting some great players from other NWHL teams with a Boston connection (Meghan Fardelmann, who got a hat-trick for the Riveters last weekend, and especially the great Kate Buesser). So even with Poulin on the Canadiennes, I think it'll be a good showcase for both the C and the N.

[brookyone]

Re: NHL Announces 1st Women's Winter Classic Game

A rare opportunity to optimize exposure and promotion of the game...blown, in my opinion.

[D2D]

Re: NHL Announces 1st Women's Winter Classic Game

The National Camp has had its dates fixed for a year. It isn't clear to what extent the NHL knew that the national players wouldn't be available at the time they agreed to host the women's game...

The NHL has always been pro-Canadian. The whole thing is fixed I tell ya!

[shelfit]

The NHL has always been pro-Canadian. The whole thing is fixed I tell ya!

Well all know it's RIT's fault. It always is.

[ne7minder]

Re: NHL Announces 1st Women's Winter Classic Game

The whole debacle is a sad joke. I get that womens hockey is not wildly popular, not even with the mouth-breathing, drunken, thug-cheering goon-loving fans of the NHL but they could do better than this.

[giwan]

Re: NHL Announces 1st Women's Winter Classic Game

understand the concerns and seemingly backhanded addition to the winter classic BUT it's a start and something is much better than nothing

[WiscDC]

Re: NHL Announces 1st Women's Winter Classic Game

Based on everything I've heard and read, this is probably one thing with which Dani Rylan should've taken her foot off the gas pedal.