Womens Hockey: How Much Time Left?

[Fire]

Other countries are improving but so is Canada and the United States. Canada still has tons of room for improvement. It will probably take 50 years before there are a group of 6 competitive teams.

[Slava]

Originally Posted by Pastiche

How do you build up parity though? If you are committed to a sport you need a generation at least to get athletes from other countries to join, play and excel. They wont do that if there's no exposure for the sport and nothing to play for.

I guess it turns into a chicken and egg type of argument at some point. I suppose that after close to two decades of womens hockey at the olympic level (and I assume some time before this at the international level) you would expect more than two countries to be competitive.

[Flash Walken]

Originally Posted by Pastiche

How do you build up parity though? If you are committed to a sport you need a generation at least to get athletes from other countries to join, play and excel. They wont do that if there's no exposure for the sport and nothing to play for.

Bingo.

To me, the exciting games are between the lesser nations and then the gold medal game.

Even though the skill is not as great, you can clearly see the passion and competitive drive during the games, and I like to see that.

I find it almost heartwarming when a team like sweden still grinds away in a 13-0 nothing game to get it to 13-1.

Eventually the other nations will begin to have sufficient enrollment in the youth programs that will increase their competitive edge.

For players like Wickenheiser, I see that as being the next logical step in their careers after hockey. Having a Canadian female overseeing a large portion, or all, of, say Finland's national woman's hockey program, could really go a long way to improving the competition.

[OutOfTheCube]

There's women's hockey?

[Resolute 14]

Originally Posted by Slava

I guess it turns into a chicken and egg type of argument at some point. I suppose that after close to two decades of womens hockey at the olympic level (and I assume some time before this at the international level) you would expect more than two countries to be competitive.

Sweden beat the US in 2006...

Women's ski jumping will be at the Sochi games, you can guarantee that. Ultimately, the concept of gender equality is what will guarantee that women's hockey remains far more than any other argument.

Women's hockey isn't going anywhere. Personally, I plan to enjoy the fact that we dominate a sport rather than fall into the typical Canadian attitude of preferring to be mediocre.

[VladtheImpaler]

Count me in with the "I'll never watch womens hockey" crowd. Nothing against women's sports - I happily watch skiing, speedskating, etc - but if I can see better hockey by going to my local arena and watching a AA Bantam game, I am not going to waste my time.
The problem is hockey is THE sport here, so women want to play it. Even in Russia, where hockey is a big sport, there is no interest among women in playing, other than a few "oddballs". All the best female athletes go into tennis, figure skating, skiing, etc, etc, etc. The Chinese have a couple hundred women playing hockey because the Chinese government wants to win as many Olympic medals as possible, not because there is a real interest in hockey. I don't think it can ever become competitive because in every country outside of Canada and northern US, female athletes have a long, long list of sports that come way before hockey...

[transplant99]

Originally Posted by OutOfTheCube

There's women's hockey?

yes...and they often wear Sabres logos.

[transplant99]

And if one does not like the hockey the girls play...instead of calling for it to be forsaken for good, why not just change the channel? Its a pretty simple way of dealing with a simple problem of not wanting to watch it. No?

[VladtheImpaler]

Originally Posted by transplant99

And if one does not like the hockey the girls play...instead of calling for it to be forsaken for good, why not just change the channel? Its a pretty simple way of dealing with a simple problem of not wanting to watch it. No?

I'm not advocating outlawing women's hockey - I do just change the channel. But, you can't have an Olympic sport for 2 countries - maybe that was fine in 1932 when there were only 15-20 countries taking part...

[transplant99]

But, you can't have an Olympic sport for 2 countries - maybe that was fine in 1932 when there were only 15-20 countries taking part...

Until this year, the Russians/Soviets had won pairs skating 13 straight Olympics (sans Pelltier/Sale in the co-win)..no one was calling for that to be dropped.

[ma-skis.com]

Originally Posted by troutman

Clearly the answer is for us to impregnate as many women as possible in Sweden, Finland, Russia, China etc - they need our superior Canadian ice hockey genes.

the ol' "Hit it Raw" World Tour edition looms it's ugly head once again

[Red_Baron]

Maybe until the parity increases they should do 2 Canadian teams, split the pools so that if the Canadian Teams come out on top, they'll have to play each other in the Semi's so that way you won't have an all Canadian Gold medal game. That would give the games some potential to be more competitive.
Biggest issue is the potential to win 2 medals if they were to do this.

[Resolute 14]

The other solution is to allow multiple teams from one nation. Let Canada win gold, silver and bronze and let people complain THEN!

Vlad - the point you raise about Russian girls preferring to go into other sports right now is actually the exact argument why women's hockey should remain in the Olympics. The opportunity to compete in the Olympics is one thing that will help the next generation of girls take greater interest in the sport.

[flambers]

Originally Posted by transplant99

Until this year, the Russians/Soviets had won pairs skating 13 straight Olympics (sans Pelltier/Sale in the co-win)..no one was calling for that to be dropped.

Sure, but the big difference is the other countries are competitve.

The 3rd best Hockey team was out shot 45-4 after two periods last night.

I would think, Women's Hockey will be dropped before the next Olympics in Russia.

[VladtheImpaler]

Originally Posted by transplant99

Until this year, the Russians/Soviets had won pairs skating 13 straight Olympics (sans Pelltier/Sale in the co-win)..no one was calling for that to be dropped.

Come on - not even close to being a fair comparison. Ridiculous in fact, given the popularity of figure skating (personally I hate it, but it is probably the top winter sport).

[Resolute 14]

If women's hockey were to be dropped, men's hockey would go with it.

Both sports will be at Sochi, and at following games.

[VladtheImpaler]

Originally Posted by Resolute 14

Vlad - the point you raise about Russian girls preferring to go into other sports right now is actually the exact argument why women's hockey should remain in the Olympics. The opportunity to compete in the Olympics is one thing that will help the next generation of girls take greater interest in the sport.

Countries where government ordains "interest" for prestige reasons can never compete with coutries where people actually want to play. Same reason Chinese will never compete with the Northern Europeans in cross-country skiing.

[Flash Walken]

Women's hockey clearly has a future, and if you don't believe me, look at enrollment rates. The only growth in Canada amongst hockey registration is female youth.

With the Buckeyes now running a female hockey skills camp, I can't imagine it will be long before there is a competitive CCHA women's league, and following that, perhaps a big ten league.

Finland already has a women's hockey league set in two different tiers.

There are also benefits for our own locals. Yale has 5 Albertans on the team, who, ten years ago, would never have received any kind of scholarship to an American school, let alone at the Ivy level.

It can't be more than another olympics or two before there is a great team (canada) and 3 other main rivals.

How long did it take the Swedish Men's team to be competitive against the giants of the sport?

[VladtheImpaler]

Originally Posted by Resolute 14

If women's hockey were to be dropped, men's hockey would go with it.

Why? The IOC doesn't have to answer to Human Rights Boards.

[transplant99]

Sure, but the big difference is the other countries are competitve.

Now they are...but it was not always that way, and the reason other countries got better? because they had something to shoot for, just like the wmens teams.

During those 12 (not 13 as i said earlier) Olympics in pairs skating, the breakdown was as follows...

Soviet/Russian teams.... 20 medals (12 Gold)
Germany..................... 7 medals
Canada...................... 4 medals
US............................ 2 medals
China........................ 3 medals

Looks a lot like the girls hockey results over the last 4 games, does it not? One very dominant country, another one who is close and a couple more who are inferior.

Now though, and after years of allowing it? Not a Russian on the podium, and the rest of the world closing the gap.

I would think, Women's Hockey will be dropped before the next Olympics in Russia.

ceratinly hope not as that thinking would of meant that mens hockey should of been dropped a long time ago as well.