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.
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.
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!
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.
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