And that’s probably the way it has to be right now with women’s professional hockey in North America. Kendall Coyne Schofield’s spin during the NHL all-star skills competition made headlines amid talk that the men’s pro league could do more for the women’s game. ( Ezra Shaw / GETTY IMAGES file photo )It’s admirable, particularly for those of us who have applauded the growth of the women’s game and would very much like to see professional women’s hockey become a viable business. Wipe out the only league left, and hope Gary Bettman and 32 owners will see underwriting women’s hockey as an attractive long-term strategy of growing their game and improving the NHL’s bottom line. And if the best women refuse to play next season, could that only decrease existing public demand for women’s hockey, and thus be more of a setback than progress?

Source: thestar May 03, 2019 20:26 UTC