Pro Women's Hockey Players To Go On Barnstorming Tour Called "The Dream Gap Tour"

[Scott_TG]

Pro Women's Hockey Players To Go On Barnstorming Tour Called "The Dream Gap Tour"

Looks like the 200 players holding out from playing in North America (in practice holding out from playing in the NWHL) this season will go on a barnstorming tour where 80 players will split into four teams and play round robin games and a championship game. They will also hold clinics.

Stops confirmed so far include Toronto, Hudson, NH and Chicago. Players from this group will also play exhibitions against Boston College and San Jose Sharks alumni.


The Dream Gap Tour's major sponsors are Adidas and Billie Jean King Enterprises

More info: https://www.espn.com/espnw/sports/article/27483001/women-hockey-union-launches-dream-gap-tour

 

[Puckdrop14]

Re: Pro Women's Hockey Players To Go On Barnstorming Tour Called "The Dream Gap Tour"

Re: Pro Women's Hockey Players To Go On Barnstorming Tour Called "The Dream Gap Tour"

This must be really fulfilling for the 120 that will not be playing!

 

[Scott_TG]

Re: Pro Women's Hockey Players To Go On Barnstorming Tour Called "The Dream Gap Tour"

Re: Pro Women's Hockey Players To Go On Barnstorming Tour Called "The Dream Gap Tour"

This must be really fulfilling for the 120 that will not be playing!

They might be rotating the players in and out of the tour...

Or maybe some of the players left out will break and go back to the NWHL...

 

[Puckdrop14]

Re: Pro Women's Hockey Players To Go On Barnstorming Tour Called "The Dream Gap Tour"

Re: Pro Women's Hockey Players To Go On Barnstorming Tour Called "The Dream Gap Tour"

If players are left out, the 200 strong will likely shrink and as you say, we will likely see some of these players sign with NWHL teams. For the sake of the movement, I hope they are rotating players in and out otherwise the dream gap tour could end up being a bad idea.

 

[TonyTheTiger20]

Re: Pro Women's Hockey Players To Go On Barnstorming Tour Called "The Dream Gap Tour"

Re: Pro Women's Hockey Players To Go On Barnstorming Tour Called "The Dream Gap Tour"

I'm guessing a significant number of the 200 can't exactly take a bunch of time off from work to go barnstorming across the country playing exhibition games.

 

[ARM]

Re: Pro Women's Hockey Players To Go On Barnstorming Tour Called "The Dream Gap Tour"

Re: Pro Women's Hockey Players To Go On Barnstorming Tour Called "The Dream Gap Tour"

Coming off the World Cup win, there is a demand to see the US Women's Soccer team. There seems to be some demand for tickets on their victory tour. If instead of getting to watch that team play, they were joined by a bunch of other players, and that group was split into four random teams that followed the round-robin-plus-championship format, I doubt that there would be a lot of interest. I'm trying to think of a sport where that would be commercially successful.

Fans like to go watch "their" team, be it school, city, state, country. Club teams have a pretty good product, but almost nobody beyond parents shows up to watch them.

Maybe they should learn from Billie Jean King and find some Bobby Riggs style showmen who will play these ladies while tied to a chair or some such nonsense. Americans need a spectacle in order to show up.

 

[TonyTheTiger20]

Re: Pro Women's Hockey Players To Go On Barnstorming Tour Called "The Dream Gap Tour"

Re: Pro Women's Hockey Players To Go On Barnstorming Tour Called "The Dream Gap Tour"

Maybe they should learn from Billie Jean King and find some Bobby Riggs style showmen who will play these ladies while tied to a chair or some such nonsense. Americans need a spectacle in order to show up.

The game vs. the San Jose Sharks alumni is going to be must-see TV. I assume the best of the best of the PWHPA will be playing in that game.

 

[Lindsay]

Re: Pro Women's Hockey Players To Go On Barnstorming Tour Called "The Dream Gap Tour"

Re: Pro Women's Hockey Players To Go On Barnstorming Tour Called "The Dream Gap Tour"

I think they split into 8 or 9 regions, so the 80 players will probably differ from region to region, and covering the 200 in total. The players didn’t sit out because they aspire to play in a barn storming tour, so I doubt it will result in players going back to the N.

I thought the NW had a really solid statement today, encouraging everyone to go and support this barn storming tour. Wish that kind of collaboration existed between both C and N in years past.

It’s been really nice to see certain non national players emerge as strong supporters and leaders of the movement. Karolina Urban, Liz Knox, Mel Desrochers, and Karell Emard have all impressed me, and I believe a culture change is afoot, for the better.

 

[thirdtime's . . .]

Re: Pro Women's Hockey Players To Go On Barnstorming Tour Called "The Dream Gap Tour"

Re: Pro Women's Hockey Players To Go On Barnstorming Tour Called "The Dream Gap Tour"

The best way for this group to fill any stormed barn is to have Megan Rapinoe sign autographs between periods.

 

[pokechecker]

Re: Pro Women's Hockey Players To Go On Barnstorming Tour Called "The Dream Gap Tour"

Re: Pro Women's Hockey Players To Go On Barnstorming Tour Called "The Dream Gap Tour"

Coming off the World Cup win, there is a demand to see the US Women's Soccer team. There seems to be some demand for tickets on their victory tour. If instead of getting to watch that team play, they were joined by a bunch of other players, and that group was split into four random teams that followed the round-robin-plus-championship format, I doubt that there would be a lot of interest. I'm trying to think of a sport where that would be commercially successful.

Fans like to go watch "their" team, be it school, city, state, country. Club teams have a pretty good product, but almost nobody beyond parents shows up to watch them.

Maybe they should learn from Billie Jean King and find some Bobby Riggs style showmen who will play these ladies while tied to a chair or some such nonsense. Americans need a spectacle in order to show up.

Do the San Jose Sharks alumni qualify?
I looked at who the alumni are:
Sharks GM Doug Wilson was a heckuva player, but is 62
Dave Maley is 56, Tom Pederson and Brett Hedican are 49, and Mike Ricci is about to turn 48 to name a few.
The Playerz will likely skate circles around the Sharks, but can they put the puck in the net more often? Doubtful.
They have an impressive list of blueliners, can they still play? Hedican better be able to skate considering his wife.
here is a link to the foundation members, I don't know if these are the guys that will be playing, the Playerz better hope they don't bring any younger guys:
https://sharksalumnifoundation.org/alumni-members/