Olympics: Finland G Noora Raty announces retirement due to lack of women's pro league

[mindfly]

But it's not really about physicality either, it's the same in women's soccer, for example the swedish women national team in soccer lost clearly to AIK U17 if I remember correctly, and soccer is far from as physical sport as hockey.. they're not techniqually sound and everything they do goes much slower.... they can't produce as much Nm in the shots, it literally becomes a joke.

 

[Kharkov]

for example the swedish women national team in soccer lost clearly to AIK U17 if I remember correctly,

Would be interesting to watch that.

 

[ColdSteel2]

I think it would have a bigger fanbase than the WNBA.

I think Raty could survive in the ECHL though, has the skills, maybe not as a star but at least a solid backup.

 

[Snow Dog]

I'm watching the women's game right now.It's not the best hockey I have watched.I can go watch hockey better than this for free at my local arena or watch better hockey on a local cable channel free.It's not economically viable.Most junior games are lucky to have more than 3000 spectators and it's really good hockey.

 

[sandysan]

I don't know....$30,000-$50,000 a year per player for salaries. Probably not a ton of tv time, could be worked into the television deals with the parent NHL club (assuming a similar parent relationship like there is with the WNBA and NBA).

In Minnesota, we have a rink that was built SPECIFICLY to support women's hockey at the University (Ridder Arena). Seating capacity is 3,400. This would be perfect for a Minnesota WNHL team.

Ridder Arena

having arenas is not the problem ( and I'm not sure how the NCAA, one of the few developmental leagues would view these pro interlopers) its having people wanting to pay to see games.
i dont think its there now, but if it is its going to be overwhelmingly benefiting the two countries that need it the least. which leads to increased disparities in talent.

unless participation in womens hockey in countries other than the us and canada goes up and goes up a lot this is simply very very expensive window dressing. if these countries are not willing or unable to support women's hockey internally, I dont see how this falls on the nhl in any way.

 

[Blackhawkswincup]

Operating within a fairly small radius, I think that a small women's league could at least break even. That said, there'd be a lot that would have to go right. Travel would have to be limited to short bus trips, the season would have to be short, and it would have to be subsidized to a large extent. Ticket prices are normally a big issue; we had a short-lived women's pro football league locally some years back, and attendance was awful largely because of a $25 ticket price.

A four-team league in something like Milwaukee, Madison, and two Chicago teams; or two Boston, Hartford, and Providence; or Hamilton, Toronto, Buffalo, and Mississauga.

Yes there is. It's a four-team league, but it's still a pro league.

People in Chicago will not waste time/money on women's hockey

It would be well below high school basketball/football on sports landscape and that doesn't even factor in the other stuff in Chicago to draw interest of people

 

[ColdSteel2]

Minnesota, Milwaukee, Hartford, Toronto is how I'd set up the women's league. Toronto and Minnesota are the best hockey markets in each country and Milwaukee and Hartford lack teams and are also good hockey markets.

 

[Blackhawkswincup]

Minnesota, Milwaukee, Hartford, Toronto is how I'd set up the women's league. Toronto and Minnesota are the best hockey markets in each country and Milwaukee and Hartford lack teams and are also good hockey markets.

Milwaukee is not a good hockey market nor will people say "Well we don't have an NHL team ,, Lets go see women's hockey"



A Women's version of NHL is just not viable ,, WNBA is only alive because the NBA forces TV partners to keep it afloat

 

[ColdSteel2]

Milwaukee is not a good hockey market nor will people say "Well we don't have an NHL team ,, Lets go see women's hockey"

What's wrong with giving the league a shot and if it doesn't do well in year 1, pull the plug and everyone will always know it was tried.

 

[Blackhawkswincup]

And stop using WNBA as some example as to why a women's hockey league would work

NCAA has well established women's teams and pipeline of talent ,, That offers some viability to the sport of women's basketball in US

Women's hockey is not comparable to Women's basketball

 

[MuckOG]

having arenas is not the problem ( and I'm not sure how the NCAA, one of the few developmental leagues would view these pro interlopers) its having people wanting to pay to see games.
i dont think its there now, but if it is its going to be overwhelmingly benefiting the two countries that need it the least. which leads to increased disparities in talent.

unless participation in womens hockey in countries other than the us and canada goes up and goes up a lot this is simply very very expensive window dressing. if these countries are not willing or unable to support women's hockey internally, I dont see how this falls on the nhl in any way.

I think you'd be surprised at the number of women and girls that would pay money to show up and support a women's team in Minnesota. Girls hockey is very popular, obviously not to the level of boys, but this state has done a very good job building the game for girls as well.

I wouldn't expect something like this to take off immediately. It would have to be nurtured and supported a bit by the NHL...but after a while, it may grow to the point where they could be largely self-supported. Plus, think the of the PR the NHL clubs could garner by doing something like this. Right now, with most of the marketing done to appeal to a largely male fanbase, they could be tapping into a mostly ignored base of fans that make up half the population.

Start off small....maybe 4-6 teams placed strategically in markets that have the best chance of being supported: Minnesota, Winnipeg, Toronto, Montreal, Boston and New York for starters. Then try and branch out from there. Maybe a 30 game schedule to start, which would grow as the number of teams increases. Salaries would be modest, under $50,000 per player or something like that.

 

[Hebrew Hammer]

And stop using WNBA as some example as to why a women's hockey league would work

NCAA has well established women's teams and pipeline of talent ,, That offers some viability to the sport of women's basketball in US

Women's hockey is not comparable to Women's basketball

Well, the NCAA has well established women's hockey teams, but I definitely agree.

 

[MuckOG]

And stop using WNBA as some example as to why a women's hockey league would work

NCAA has well established women's teams and pipeline of talent ,, That offers some viability to the sport of women's basketball in US

Women's hockey is not comparable to Women's basketball

Same holds true for women's hockey. They also have the NCAA, as well as international.

 

[Shrimper]

A women's league would need NHL funding to survive, without a doubt. But it would be better for the development of the game on the women's front to do it. I would image that if possible teams could use arenas already in use/built and smaller ones to lower overhead costs. I'd start a 5 team league, teams in Toronto, Minnesota, Detroit, Montreal and Boston.

Toronto - Leaside Gardens
Boston - Conte Forum
Detroit - ???
Minnesota - ???
Montreal - ???

Team plays 20 games - each other 5 times. Top four to the play-offs. If more teams needed then a team in New York would be ideal I'd guess.

It would be interesting to see if potentially games could be hosted in conjunction with NHL games. I.e maybe before or after they could play? Probably logistical problems there though.

 

[Kshahdoo]

I think US and Canadian governments should obligate NHL to support women's professional league by threatening to close it on account of sexism and female's discrimination.

 

[MuckOG]

A women's league would need NHL funding to survive, without a doubt. But it would be better for the development of the game on the women's front to do it. I would image that if possible teams could use arenas already in use/built and smaller ones to lower overhead costs. I'd start a 5 team league, teams in Toronto, Minnesota, Detroit, Montreal and Boston.

Toronto - Leaside Gardens
Boston - Conte Forum
Detroit - ???
Minnesota -
Montreal - ???

Team plays 20 games - each other 5 times. Top four to the play-offs. If more teams needed then a team in New York would be ideal I'd guess.

It would be interesting to see if potentially games could be hosted in conjunction with NHL games. I.e maybe before or after they could play? Probably logistical problems there though.

The Minnesota team could play at Ridder Arena

I think US and Canadian governments should obligate NHL to support women's professional league by threatening to close it on account of sexism and female's discrimination.

Yeah, I don't think that would fly.

 

[KingKopitar11*]

A womens league won't survive without the NHL's help.

Would the NHL be able to support them. That's the question.

 

[MuckOG]

Would the NHL be able to support them. That's the question.

I think they could, if they start small. I don't think the expense would be all the great. Salaries can be extremely modest to start.

 

[Shrimper]

I think US and Canadian governments should obligate NHL to support women's professional league by threatening to close it on account of sexism and female's discrimination.

That wouldn't go well and I'm pretty sure that political involvement in sports leagues is banned.

 

[Jussi]

Would like to see Räty in Mestis but it can be tough for her there.

I don't think it would hurt her nor the team too much to play for a team that has no incentive this season anymore, to see how well she can handle it. Suomisarja (below Mestis) would probably be even easier to find a team but they don't pay much there. Most importantly for her would be to find a team that has a good goaltending coach.

 

[Kshahdoo]

That wouldn't go well and I'm pretty sure that political involvement in sports leagues is banned.

As far as I remember it's banned only when it comes to Olympic commitees and some sport federations. IOC and FIFA are especially protective against political pressure. But as to NA professional leagues they doesn't depend on IOC or any federations (perhaps aside from MLS).

 

[sandysan]

I think you'd be surprised at the number of women and girls that would pay money to show up and support a women's team in Minnesota. Girls hockey is very popular, obviously not to the level of boys, but this state has done a very good job building the game for girls as well.

I wouldn't expect something like this to take off immediately. It would have to be nurtured and supported a bit by the NHL...but after a while, it may grow to the point where they could be largely self-supported. Plus, think the of the PR the NHL clubs could garner by doing something like this. Right now, with most of the marketing done to appeal to a largely male fanbase, they could be tapping into a mostly ignored base of fans that make up half the population.

Start off small....maybe 4-6 teams placed strategically in markets that have the best chance of being supported: Minnesota, Winnipeg, Toronto, Montreal, Boston and New York for starters. Then try and branch out from there. Maybe a 30 game schedule to start, which would grow as the number of teams increases. Salaries would be modest, under $50,000 per player or something like that.

your missing the point, the purpose of this discussion ( as I understand it) is not how to make existing women's leagues better but to reduce the discrepancy between nations that are not the us or canada.

having a WNHL might actually be popular ( I'm extremely skeptical) but the notion that some girl in russia is going to want to take up hockey because a russian role model went to a league she cant watch and even if she could could the infrastructure is not there to support her desires.

What you are suggesting is akin to simply having team usa repeatedly play team canada over and over and over. This will increase the talent disparity, not diminish it.

there is no way that the WNHL is self supporting in my, my kids or my grandkids lifetimes. none.

if you want to decrease the disparity, follow the already succesful model, increase participation.

 

[hisgirlfriday]

That wouldn't go well and I'm pretty sure that political involvement in sports leagues is banned.

Not sure how it works in other countries but US politicians do occasionally get involved in pro sports.

In recent years, Congress has had many hearings on pro sports doping and all the major pro sports leagues in the US are set up with special statutory anti-trust exemptions and sometimes non-profit status tax breaks.

Most of the time the politicians stay out because I don't think their meddling is particularly politically popular but in certain cases politicians have used their power to change a sport for parochial reasons, like a Louisiana politician blocked needed congressional approval of the NFL-AFL merger until the NFL promised to put an expansion team in New Orleans.

Just one extreme example and no way do I think a politician would force a WNHL on the NHL on condition of their nonprofit tax treatment, but it won't happen because there's no political benefit to it, not because such interference is banned.

 

[meenamjah]

I think US and Canadian governments should obligate NHL to support women's professional league by threatening to close it on account of sexism and female's discrimination.

very absurd and ridiculous statement. sexism and discrimination? what sexism and discrimination? is there some nhl rule forbidding female participation? that would be quite illegal, I imagine. it's not the nhl's fault that females can't make it to the nhl. there is no sexism or discrimination here.

there is no obligation by anyone to provide a pro league for females. if it's viable and/or someone feels they can make money, it may happen.

 

[redgrant]

This should be the final Olympics for a while for womens hockey. Taking 70 shots on a team is just downright silly. Right now there are only really 2 teams in the Olympics. This sport has no more validity in being in the Olympics aside from NFL/CFL football in summer games.

Setup a womens league next year raise the talent level. Its pointless that we have 2 teams only at the top level and the finals are so predictable.

Id rather see an best of 7 game series between Canada and the US for Gold and all others play for bronze.