To Hayley's credit, she wasn't "trying" to play in a men's league. She legitimately did play three seasons of mens pro/semi-pro hockey. We can debate the quality of competition in second- and third-tier Finnish pro hockey or third and fourth-tier Swedish pro hockey, but the fact is that those leagues are filled with tons of players that played in the top Finnish and Swedish junior leagues and compensate their players as legitimate pro/semi-pro leagues. At worst, it's a Junior A-level of hockey.
The absolute best of the best female players have proven that they can hang with the bottom of the men's hockey pyramid - e.g. look at the handful of female goalies that were regulars at the Jr. A level (e.g. Shannon Szabados being the AJHL goalie of the year in the 00s) and have played games at the SPHL/CHL/WCHL-levels without looking too out of place.
For me, that's the whole crux of the issue with Chloe Primarano. We're not talking about the law of averages. With her level of dominance over her female peers, is she a generational female hockey player that can actually handle men's hockey? If she is the next coming of Wickenheiser or Ruggiero, she should be given a chance to at least give the men's game a try without judgement to see if she can continue to elevate the women's game.
