Is NHL strictly a men's league?

[Machinehead]

Height and weight are the tip of the iceberg. The issue is mass.

Hilary Knight is a good 5'11" and ripped. Austin Czarnik is a generous 5'9" and a broomstick. They're the same weight.

You can find women tall enough and heavy enough to compete with men if you make an apples to apples comparison. Ok, this girl is 6'4", 200; she's bigger than some NHL players.

Yeah, but she would have to be bigger than almost every NHL player to have 99th percentile strength and muscle mass, which basically every NHL player does relative to the population.

 

[Frank Drebin]

It's comments like these that indicate you've never played the sport at any meaningful level. If you ran into Austin Czarnik at a pick up game you'd think he was Connor McDavid. Nobody would be able to touch him.

Even the worst NHL players are unbelievably good.

its straight up ignorance. Insulting to NHL players and elite female players.

 

[joestevens29]

I'd argue that the worst hockey player on NHL teams often was one of the stars on their past teams, and had to adapt their game to survive. It's probably less common to find a Ryan Reaves-type, where they're always filled the same role. I seriously doubt that women's bodies could take 4th-liner grinder punishment (or easily keep up with the speed required, or rip a shot on net, etc), but players regularly do reinvent themselves - often the moment they're called up from the AHL.

I also agree that she played poorly, but she also shouldn't continue being the example of "we tried it, this happened". They could do something like that again, in goal - get a pulse on where women's hockey is at. Pre-season, all-star games, late season when you're out of the running and your two starters go down... I think it'd be fun to see.

I'm against it in pre-season and end of season. I'm already against how my club at times would play clear AHL scrubs too many pre-season games. Pre-season is to get your team in sync and see what borderline players have in them. Late in the season should also be used for those guys that put their time in with the organization. Whether it's guys that sat in the pressbox or guys that have been up and down from the AHL without being given much playing time in the show.

Now the all-star game. Go right ahead

 

[thegazelle]

I'd argue that the worst hockey player on NHL teams often was one of the stars on their past teams, and had to adapt their game to survive. It's probably less common to find a Ryan Reaves-type, where they're always filled the same role. I seriously doubt that women's bodies could take 4th-liner grinder punishment (or easily keep up with the speed required, or rip a shot on net, etc), but players regularly do reinvent themselves - often the moment they're called up from the AHL.

I also agree that she played poorly, but she also shouldn't continue being the example of "we tried it, this happened". They could do something like that again, in goal - get a pulse on where women's hockey is at. Pre-season, all-star games, late season when you're out of the running and your two starters go down... I think it'd be fun to see.

I agree with that. If there is a woman who meets the qualifications for performance, etc., she should be given a chance. What I don't want to see is something just for a DEI initiative sake or as a novelty gesture.

I thought that it was interesting including those female skaters in the NHL all star game speed skating competition. I just wish they called it something else other than NHL all star game since the women never played in the NHL.

There are some sports I think may have mixed participation in matches at some point - golf for one - one doesn't need to outdrive everyone else to do well. At our corporate tournaments years ago, we had many women win them, not because they outdrove the guys but because they were consistent hitters, while the guys were just trying to muscle long drives and show off power.

 

[joestevens29]

Have you seen the internet? Who would subject themselves to that?

People that think they deserve something and aren't getting it...

 

[Sol]

I mean, is somewhere in the rules written, only men could play there?

Is breathing air vital to human life?

Imagine being in the locker-room with the Johnson out and about then she turns to you to say “GG bro nice dong btw” then what?

 

[joestevens29]

it would be a huge increase in pay if woman could just make the AHL never mind the NHL

100%

 

[norrisnick]

It actually is and your victim complex only makes your take look worse. Is there any woman in specific you think should/could play in the NHL ? You think there's 1 who could keep up with the speed and physicality of the NHL, especially the playoffs ? If so, who ?

Your takes are outrageously ridiculous and they are being rightfully ridiculed.

What victim complex? What am I a victim of? There are dozens of NHLers that are just warm bodies. Guys that don't PK, don't run around hitting, aren't doing anything with the puck or without. They are just there and can't keep up with the speed or physicality of the NHL either. Any one of them could have just as easily been a woman and no one would have noticed. But that opinion is outrageous apparently...

 

[hotpaws]

It's comments like these that indicate you've never played the sport at any meaningful level. If you ran into Austin Czarnik at a pick up game you'd think he was Connor McDavid. Nobody would be able to touch him.

Even the worst NHL players are unbelievably good.

i doubt he's even watched a women's game with his views because if he did he'd realize the play isn't anywhere near even an OHL level

now saying this doesn't mean it shouldn't be supported or isn't entertaining , it just means the level of play isn't comparable to the men's game and the two shouldn't be compared

 

[daver]

Maybe? I mean, I see teams get penalized all the time for TOO MUCH MAN but never have I seen one for TOO MUCH WOMAN

Sounds like a good ESPN doc series:

"Too Many Men" - How women were kept from playing in the NHL.

What victim complex? What am I a victim of? There are dozens of NHLers that are just warm bodies. Guys that don't PK, don't run around hitting, aren't doing anything with the puck or without. They are just there and can't keep up with the speed or physicality of the NHL either. Any one of them could have just as easily been a woman and no one would have noticed. But that opinion is outrageous apparently...

You don't have a victim complex, just a Really, Really Bad Take Complex.

 

[Rob Brown]

What victim complex? What am I a victim of? There are dozens of NHLers that are just warm bodies. Guys that don't PK, don't run around hitting, aren't doing anything with the puck or without. They are just there and can't keep up with the speed or physicality of the NHL either. Any one of them could have just as easily been a woman and no one would have noticed. But that opinion is outrageous apparently...

The guys that are 'warm bodies' are still in the top like 1% of hockey players in the world, and even if they weren't scoring goals or killing penalties, the difference in size and physicality between them and a female hockey player would still be noticeable.

 

[Machinehead]

It's bad for women's sports to compare them to men on an athletic basis.

On a skill basis? In some sports where the women's game has been developed, sure. Sabrina Ionescu and Caitlin Clark can shoot three pointers as well as the top men in the basketball.

On an athletic basis, there's a reason for the separation. I think most supporters of women's sports accept this.

 

[Lazlo Hollyfeld]

It's always funny when guys act like men being generally stronger is some sort of achievement on their part versus biology.

In terms of level of competitiveness of mens versus women's game in sports, the size of the talent pool is often overlooked. The number of women playing hockey in a serious competitive sense today is probably still smaller than the number of men in the early original 6 days.

 

[WhiskeyYerTheDevils]

What victim complex? What am I a victim of? There are dozens of NHLers that are just warm bodies. Guys that don't PK, don't run around hitting, aren't doing anything with the puck or without. They are just there and can't keep up with the speed or physicality of the NHL either. Any one of them could have just as easily been a woman and no one would have noticed. But that opinion is outrageous apparently...

This has to be trolling, right?

You need to play a sport at least once in your life.

 

[Machinehead]

It's always funny when guys act like men being generally stronger is some sort of achievement on their part versus biology.

In terms of level of competitiveness of mens versus women's game in sports, the size of the talent pool is often overlooked. The number of women playing hockey in a serious competitive sense today is probably still smaller than the number of men in the early original 6 days.

Not me, I'm fat and most female athletes could beat me up!

 

[hotpaws]

There are always a few absolutely clueless guys in these types of threads who throw biology and logic out the window in favour of some progressive brownie points.

maybe they've watched one too many recent Disney movies , lol

 

[SnowblindNYR]

This thread ought to end up full of very smart takes from very manly men

Yes science is full of smart takes.

 

[Beukeboom Fan]

not doubting you or anything, but can you provide some sort of info on that? Must have made headlines all over the sports world.

FC Dallas under-15 boys squad beat the U.S. Women's National Team in a scrimmage

Wasn't publicized much because it doesn't fit the narrative.

 

[hotpaws]

It's always funny when guys act like men being generally stronger is some sort of achievement on their part versus biology.

In terms of level of competitiveness of mens versus women's game in sports, the size of the talent pool is often overlooked. The number of women playing hockey in a serious competitive sense today is probably still smaller than the number of men in the early original 6 days.

who said it was some sort of achievement ? it's just a fact

 

[AvroArrow]

What victim complex? What am I a victim of? There are dozens of NHLers that are just warm bodies. Guys that don't PK, don't run around hitting, aren't doing anything with the puck or without. They are just there and can't keep up with the speed or physicality of the NHL either. Any one of them could have just as easily been a woman and no one would have noticed. But that opinion is outrageous apparently...

It is, here is the greatest female athlete of all time for you

 

[EdmFlyersfan]

 

[Elvs]

Jennifer Wakefield, a 6'0" forward and a key player for Team Canada for a number of years, was roughly a PPG player when she played a full season in Sweden's division 3 for men.

For those not familiar with the Swedish league structure, division 3 is the fifth tier behind the SHL, Allsvenskan, division 1 and division 2.

While she did very well in that league, she was far behind the team's leading scorer, a guy who at best would be a servicable division 2 player.

In other words, for a woman to make it to the SHL (up four levels from the men's hockey in Sweden which Wakefield was playing at), let alone the NHL (which is another huge step up from the SHL) it would require someone to be out of this world.

 

[AvroArrow]

FC Dallas under-15 boys squad beat the U.S. Women's National Team in a scrimmage

Wasn't publicized much because it doesn't fit the narrative.

I recall a similar story with the Brazilian national team, team of 15 year old boys beat the Brazilian womens national soccer team 6-0

 

[zar]

Not me, I'm fat and most female athletes could beat me up!

Me too… now…. and I’m old.

Have you seen some of those UFC women fight? I’d run away… hoping praying I can out run her.

 

[Machinehead]

Me too… now…. and I’m old.

Have you seen some of those UFC women fight? I’d run away… hoping praying I can out run her.

Yeah, and probably not.

I have a deep respect for female athletes. I've been to half the Liberty home games this year and I'm hoping to become a STH if my work schedule permits.

I find this comparison very unproductive.

If it ever did happen...cool, great. It still wouldn't be most women and we would still need to support women's sports.