The Fearless, Frozen Females of Hockey

Although it would be easy to criticize the structure of the 2012 Meco Cup because the Canadian Under 22 women’s team failed to capture a gold medal, the reality is that the concept of the tournament was somewhat compromised. Traditionally, the Meco Cup (formerly known as the Women’s Air Canada Cup, followed by MLP Nations Cup) was a tournament for teams representing their respective countries with female players under 22 years of age. The 2012 edition was radically different because Canada was the only country to ice a team in which every player was under 22 years of age. Other countries had summoned their senior national teams, while others had a blend of players, both under and over 22 years of age. If the concept was to provide parity, it hardly mattered as the most dominant countries of women’s ice hockey (Finland, Sweden and Canada) topped the medal podium. The key difference was that Canada finished with a bronze medal. Although Canada bravely battled on against some difficul...

With the absence of the Minnesota Whitecaps from the Canadian Women’s Hockey League, USA Hockey should look at this as a potential building block towards developing the sport even further. With the level of talent in Minnesota and Wisconsin, USA Hockey could sponsor a four team league, with the Whitecaps as its signature franchise. Each state could easily stock two teams, allowing players an opportunity to continue playing after their NCAA careers come to an end. In addition, it could be a great opportunity to bring prospective members of the US National Team to play and develop. With the level of support for ice hockey in Minnesota and Wisconsin, there would be a strong enough fan base to bring the league a strong level of stability. In addition, having the teams in those two states would help keep travel costs low, while ensuring that strong rivalries can grow between the teams. A professional league for women based out of the United States would be reminiscent of the early years of ...

In a league that needs to grow and develop, the exclusion of the Minnesota Whitecaps, the most successful women’s club team in modern United States hockey history, augments much discussion. The use of reasons such as budgetary restraints (including travel costs) or scheduling conflicts are not substantial enough. Competition creates a better product, and Minnesota would help to improve the overall quality and marketability of the CWHL. The Whitecaps feature Winter Games gold medallist Jenny Potter and Minnesota high school legend Winny Brodt. The state has so much talent, that it could easily stock a second team. Decades ago, there were rival leagues in professional basketball, football and hockey, and not all teams were absorbed into more lucrative, high profile leagues. Many of these exclusions were deemed as personal or part of a hidden agenda. If there is any possible resentment attributed to the Whitecaps 2010 Clarkson Cup victory, such animosity needs to be left in the past. T...

Cheers to the NHL for including women’s ice hockey players as part of the NHL All-Star festivities in Ottawa, Canada. Five highly decorated players participated, giving many fans a tremendous experience, while helping to raise awareness for the game. Canadians Tessa Bonhomme, Jennifer Botterill, Caroline Ouellette and Meaghan Mikkelson Reid, along with American goaltender Jessie Vetter (who have ten Winter Games medals combined, along with seven NCAA Frozen Four titles, and too many World Championships and Four Nations gold medals to count), all took part. Bonhomme was part of an autograph session with Anaheim Ducks player Corey Perry at an autograph signing (at 1 pm on January 28) sponsored by ScotiaBank. Bonhonme was gracious in answering fan questions, and stood out as a role model, giving girls advice on how to never give up, and the role her family played in supporting her dreams. She also shared her own experiences on playing hockey for Ohio State, and what it was like to play ag...

On the surface, the year 2011 may seem like a failure to the Canadian women’s team. Despite some great performances (Kelly Babstock being named ECAC Player of the Year, Meghan Agosta becoming the NCAA leading scorer, and Hillary Pattenden becoming the NCAA all-time wins leader), there were some heartbreaking events. It began with the United States usurping Canada (the defending champs) at the IIHF Under 18 worlds. Despite a gold medal for Canada at the MLP Cup, silver seemed to be the defining colour of the year. In April, the United States bested Canada at the IIHF World Championships. This event was preceeded by another painful loss. In selecting the 2011 Patty Kazmaier Award (given to the top NCAA female player), American Meghan Duggan beat out Meghan Agosta to claim the prize. Several months later, another   setback was endured. August 2011 marked the first IIHF 8 Nations (also promoted as 12 Nations) Tournament. In the round robin, Canada suffered its second ever loss at the h...

Cheers to Sportsnet Magazine for its article on the Canadian Women's Hockey League. Said article helps bring awareness to a league that desperately requires one. The imbalances that exist are eye opening. The concept of a world class athlete like Jayna Hefford (competing for the Brampton Thunder) having to work three part time jobs, while a fourth line forward in professional men's hockey can earn $500,000 reflects a great disparity. Although it is true that Hefford will one day be in the Hockey Hall of Fame, the road to get there will have been a hard one. Based on past failures in the United States of professional women's soccer, and the struggles of some franchises in the Women's National Basketball Association, attracting a potential investor will be an arduous task. It would be easy to say that professional men's hockey has a moral obligation to subsidize the league. As the CWHL is a not for profit organization, a strong selling point would be the idea of a con...

Despite making women's ice hockey history on December 14, 2011, there are still many more milestones to accomplish for Mercyhurst Lakers goaltender Hillary Pattenden. In breaking Jessie Vetter's all-time wins mark of 91, Pattenden has staked her claim as one of the greatest goalies to ever play in the NCAA. Career win 100 is still within reach, and if she can reach that milestone, she will always hold the claim of being the first to hit the century mark. (Pattenden was also the first freshman goaltender to have at least 20 victories in one season). The other milestone that has eldued Pattenden is an NCAA Frozen Four championship. As a freshman, Pattenden participated in the championship game of the 2009 NCAA Frozen Four. In an ironic passing of the torch, the opposing goaltender in that game was Jessie Vetter of Wisconsin. Despite a strong showing by Mercyhurst, Vetter ended her NCAA career as a champion. Heartbreak ensued in 2011 as Mercyhurst (with Winter Games gold medallist...