The Fearless, Frozen Females of Hockey

While it is exciting to see College Hockey America (the smallest conference in NCAA Division I) add three teams to its conference, the loss of two of its programs in less than one year is a cause for concern. The first loss came in the summer of 2011 as Wayne State University announced that it was discontinuing the Warriors women’s ice hockey program. March 2012 set the stage for the second loss, as the Niagara Purple Eagles (an NCAA member for over a decade) announced it was also pulling the plug on its program. While both programs claim financial reasons for the decision, how could one not speculate that the dominance of the Mercyhurst Lakers did not have a role in determining the outcome? There is no question that both programs competed in economically depressed areas (Wayne State in Detroit, Niagara near Buffalo). How frustrating must it be to compete in a division of five teams and have the same team win year after year? Such a situation makes it very difficult to recruit tal

To Mr. Balsillie, Stop wasting your time trying to buy a National Hockey League franchise. Even if Gary Bettman gets run over by a bus, and a new commissioner would welcome you with open arms, you would still be unhappy. You would have to learn to get along with 29 other owners, and try to compromise and appease to others agendas. Why not do like the moguls of Boston Pizza did and start your own hockey league? In the 1990’s, Jim Treliving and George Melville founded the Central Hockey League in Texas, and today, the state has more professional hockey teams than any other area in North America. Borrow a page from them, and create a league where you can do things your way, and not have to be diplomatic and acquiesce to what others believe will benefit their own interests. There would be just one small caveat – you would invest in a women’s hockey league. The Canadian Women’s Hockey League has some of the finest players in the world playing for them at NO SALARY?!?! In your own lea

Although the biggest objective for the CWHL is to be financially sound, a new problem is slowly emanating. Montreal and its surrounding areas have developed a large number of talented players that cannot be accommodated on one single team. Similar to the Montreal Canadiens in the days of the Original 6, the Montreal Stars have so much talent in their area to choose from, that not everyone will earn the opportunity to compete with them. Tragically, many talented male hockey players in Quebec between the end of the World War II and the NHL expansion of 1967 did not get the opportunity to compete in the NHL due to the issue of territorial rights (players not being allowed to compete for teams outside of their territory). History cannot repeat itself again. As CWHL players are not compensated, territorial rights are a privilege for many players, as they get to select the area in which they choose to play. This should not mean that some players in those areas are not given an opportuni

Alberta Honeybadgers Profile: 5 th place in 2011-12, Meaghan Mikkelson most notable player on the team, Jenna Cunningham led team with 10 goals Needs: The club needs another sniper to complement Cunningham. If Bailey Bram is available, she would be the right fit. Team needs to address special teams (lack of goals scored on both power play and penalty kill). National team member Jocelyne Larocque would bring strong leadership to defense. Kendice Ogilvie from Cornell would help bring a winning attitude to the team, and contribute as a defensive forward.   Andrea Boras, captain of the Alberta Pandas in CIS, has won gold with the Canadian National Team at the Winter Universiade in 2009 and 2011. A 2010 CIS National Champion, and Canada West First Team All-Star, Boras is another talent that could help bolster Alberta's blueline. A significant upgrade in goaltending would give the team more opportunities to win. Hillary Pattenden, the all-time winningest goaltender in NCAA history

As the quality of talent in the CWHL continues to improve, an All-Star Game would be an ideal way to showcase the game. With so many players sharpening their skills in the NCAA, there is no shortage of incoming talent. An All-Star Game would not only celebrate the talents of these outstanding athletes, but help extend the brand that is the CWHL. In a league that must get more television exposure, an All-Star Game would surely generate some interest among the sporting television networks. The network TSN2 broadcasts the Clarkson Cup (which signifies the end of the CWHL season), so an All-Star Game would be an ideal way to start the CWHL season. If said game could be broadcast on national television, it would surely help to generate interest in the league. Considering many sports networks broadcast soccer matches from Europe, it is also important to focus on sporting Canadiana. Every worthwhile event that occurs will only help to spread the name of the CWHL, while exposing fans to a

Of all the candidates discussed in the previous posting for the Order of Hockey in Canada, there are many other worthy candidates to consider. One such candidate belongs to a family with a strong athletic bloodline; Jennifer Botterill. Although a household name and an inspiration for generations of girls, Botterill was never a captain for any of the Winter Games teams. Despite being overlooked, she was a gifted, articulate athlete with a heart of gold. Although there seemed to be another player that would earn more attention, or scored a bigger goal, she was an unselfish player that always gave Canada an opportunity to win. A four time Winter Games medallist, Botterill rewrote several record books in the NCAA, while competing for the Harvard Crimson (also leading the Crimson to the ACHA title, while becoming the first player to win the Patti Kazmaier Award twice). A member of the Toronto Furies in their inaugural season (2010-11), she worked hard to put the Canadian Women’s Hockey L