In 2018, Gerard Gallant was acclaimed as a genius for guiding the thrown-together expansion Vegas Golden Knights to the Stanley Cup final. Jayna Hefford, a fellow Hall of Fame player and former commissioner of the Canadian Women’s Hockey League, will coach Canada. Matchups between the two superpowers of the women’s game are always welcome even though this one will have a gimmicky format. To date, commissioner Gary Bettman has carefully stayed neutral and has said he will allow market forces to determine what happens in the women’s game. Continued positive reaction to women’s All Star participation might nudge Bettman and owners toward backing a women’s league on an experimental basis.

Source: Los Angeles Times January 18, 2020 21:56 UTC