Zero interest. Less.
It’s the equivalent of tuning into a decent high school game, with zero interest or loyalty to the team or the players. A super high end high school tournament is genuinely a higher level of competition, and you may spy an odd future NHL prospect or two.
I wish I could sound less blunt on this, but there’s numerous instances of “elite” women’s teams being unable to carry the jocks of boys high school teams. I’ve shared the ice with plenty of D1 girls and they, very literally, were about as good as the Bantam’s playing for the LI Royals. Thats a good team in a good development program, but those kids are U14. Frankly, most of those kids have better hands and edge work, but are a bit less strong on the puck than a 20 year old woman on an athletic scholarship who has NCAA trainers guiding their workouts. Speeds about the same, most of them have complete muffins and, as I said, the 14yo boys tend to have better hands and edges, as well as a much higher general pace of play. I’m not affiliated with the Royals, but I would not be hesitant to lay down a decent wager that the Royals’ U16 team would handily defeat any of the PWHL teams. Granted, the Royals are a great program that I hope to get my little guy into one day, but it’s still 15-16 year old kids who I watch ride their bikes around my neighborhood and show up to drop in games on the weekends and with the adults occasionally, and I’m pretty confident they’d clean up.
With the kids being local and related to family and friends, and knowing some of the coaches, etc. it’s still not THAT entertaining to watch them play in person. There isn’t a world on earth where I’d tune in to watch them on TV if I didn’t know anything about any of them. My buddy growing up got drafted by the Canes but never signed his ELC and went and played overseas. I’ll attach his EP stats below. He’s been retired like 6 years and in his late 30s now. I’m like beyond certain he would be the PWHL MVP if he laced up today.
