General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsI would like to see a WNHL.
I think the level of play has reached a level high enough to create this league. What do you guys think?
PoliticAverse
(26,366 posts)riqster
(13,986 posts)I pay for Bluejackets and Crew tickets. A WNHL team would be great.
kcr
(15,320 posts)No one wants to pay to watch women play. Even though this is some damn fine hockey to watch that any hockey fan would enjoy watching. But heaven forbid we have gender wars on DU to discuss the reasons why this is so.
Brickbat
(19,339 posts)KamaAina
(78,249 posts)it leads to a lot of skating, passing, and shooting, especially by the Americans, who racked up an unbelievable 70 shots in the semifinal against Sweden. (The NHL record is 59, just set by my Sharks, who still managed to get shut out. ) In fact, the Swedes pulled their goalie even though she was playing well, having given up only four goals, but she was tired!
There is a Canadian Women's Hockey League, which has a team in Boston. (Does that mean Massachusetts gets single-payer? )
http://www.cwhl.ca/view/cwhl
But something on the model of the WNBA, with the teams being affiliated with (M)NHL teams, could work. San Jose Dolphins? L.A. Queens?!
Brickbat
(19,339 posts)It's a different game without it, and one I don't find quite as interesting.
Lizzie Poppet
(10,164 posts)Only one team was so affiliated in the league's first year (my beloved Portland Thorns FC, the inaugural champions, affiliated with the Timbers). That relationship was very, very successful. It gave the Thorns access to excellent facilities, a large stadium, big fan base, and a large existing support and marketing structure. While the Thorns' record-breaking (for all of women's club soccer) attendance was largely due to Portland being Soccer City, USA, all of the above factors certainly helped. The model was successful enough that the leagued first expansion club, the Houston Dash, have followed the same model and are tied to the Houston Dynamo.
Would this work for women's ice hockey? In the stronger hockey markets, I think it could.
laundry_queen
(8,646 posts)I can't count the amount of tweets and phone calls on the local radio station from people who were staying home from work to watch the women's gold medal game.
scheming daemons
(25,487 posts)in North America with play MUCH watered down from what you're seeing right now on TV and the games meaning much less, there would be very little interest.
1/10th what the WNBA gets... and the WNBA gets hardly any interest at all.
laundry_queen
(8,646 posts)but I'm in Canada. You can get 1000 people at a kid's tournament final here.
shenmue
(38,506 posts)It's about time.
1000words
(7,051 posts)The athletic skill might be there, but there's little interest.
CANDO
(2,068 posts)As they've pointed out during the game.....in women's hockey no checking allowed. The skilled skaters can skate and show off their talent without the usual goon squad that permeates the men's game. The men's game isn't much more than an organized assault on whomever currently controls the puck.
Lizzie Poppet
(10,164 posts)To my admittedly soccer-oriented eyes, the greater restrictions on contact seem to create a subtle, intricate passing and skating strategy. The women don't have the option of just blasting the opponent off their skates. This is fun to watch.
Would I go see WNHL games if there were a team here in Portland. I would, although I don't think I'm enough of the fan of the sport in general to buy a season ticket (like I do for the Portland Thorns FC..."weeeeee are the champions!!!" .
Blue_Tires
(55,445 posts)despite the league's epic mismanagement...And some teams/cities are still huge financial black holes...
The NHL (like the NBA) would be the ones bankrolling a women's league...The NBA has the mountains of cash reserves to absorb the net loss and never miss it...This is a shaky proposition for the NHL...
1000words
(7,051 posts)Three teams (Toronto, Montreal, NY Rangers) absolutely clean up, a handful barely turn a profit and the rest are losing money. The lock out was a huge blow to an already dwindling fan base.
The2ndWheel
(7,947 posts)Women do need a pro league as a goal, or else why bother to develop the talent to play hockey? The only issue is the interest, from the general public, and advertising. The WNBA can maybe get a foot in the door, because it has been backed by the NBA, and the NBA has some clout. The NHL really doesn't.
However, and it's of course not my money, but the NHL wouldn't have anything to lose if it started up a WNHL. If it went away quickly, at least they tried. It would have to start off pretty small though, maybe 5/6 teams, in hockey cities, and the closer together, the better.