Women’s hockey faces the threat of exclusion from the 2014 Winter Olympics because of a lack of competitiveness. To head off that possible exclusion, women’s hockey officials have entered into talks with the NHL about the sponsorship of a women’s league.
NHL Discussing Sponsorship Of Women’s Hockey League
The talks have been described as “very preliminary” by NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly. According to 32-year-old Canadian forward Hayley Wickenheiser, the women’s hockey officials are seeking sponsorship-level involvement from the NHL, with the hopes of eventually creating a more prominent WNBA-type league down the road.
The panic over the sport began at the Vancouver Games when International Olympic Committee president Jacques Rogge said that the sport “cannot continue without improvement.” As was the case with the three previous Olympics, the United States and Canada ran roughshod through the competition. For example, Canada beat Slovakia in one game 18-0, while the U.S. defeated Russia 13-0 in another.
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