From: (Gerry Gryschuk)
Subject: Re: Women's Hockey (was Re: Manon)
Organization: University of Saskatchewan
Date: Tue, 6 Oct 1992 03:01:47 GMT

From article <1992Oct5.011338.15683@jarvis.csri.toronto.edu>, by vv1@csri.toronto.edu (Marc J. Ouellette):
> In article <1992Oct3.110759.12913@access.usask.ca> (Gerry Gryschuk) writes:
>>[...] Although I know there must still be
>>discrimination at various levels of hockey organizations in Canada(forcing the
>>Women's Team Canada to wear pink rather than the traditional red is a good
>>indication of this) the fact that Manon reached the level she did(before her

> From what I've heard, the colour pink was chosen to protest the non-inclusion
> of women's hockey as an Olympic sport.

It was my impression that this wasn't a protest as much as an excuse. Whoever
it is that makes these decisions could have been a leader rather than a 
follower. If they had let them wear the red it would have shown commitment
to the team and a desire that they be taken seriously. Besides what is to
be gained by such a protest?(Beyond hard lobbying that is, which still has
to be done.)

Then again maybe its just me. Something about protests like this(if it indeed
was one) is lost on me. They never seem to do any good anyway, and often send
out the wrong impression.

>>invitation to camp) also indicates that the barriers to women may not be as
>>big as we presume(on the other hand this may just prove she's so good that
>>she overcame the discrimination).

> I don't think that there is that much discrimination.  Lack of funding and
> organization, certainly.

The type of discrimination I'm most aware of is at the parent level. That is
boys are encouraged to take up hockey, girls are encouraged to take up
Ringette(sp?) or figure skating etc. I should note that I'm not trying to lay
blame here, I'm not even married so I don't have a grasp of what it takes to
encourage a child in a certain direction(given that you want them to make up
their own minds eventually).

>>seperate event as will occur now(I have no doubt that a woman will make the
>>NHL in the future).

> I do, unless she is a goalie.  I have watched women's hockey regularly for
> a couple of years now, and I can't see a woman making it as a player in the
> NHL in the immediate future.  If I was to rank hockey in terms of order of
> magnitude (just in terms of speed of the game), I'd say that the NHL, Junior
> A, CIAU (Canadian Interuniversity Athletic Union) hockey, and Senior AA
> women's hockey (the highest level of women's hockey in Canada)
> are all seperated by at least an order of magnitude.  I've seen games at
> all levels, and very few women would be able to compete for a spot on a
> varsity team.  It's not just a question of contact vs non-contact either...
> 

The most likely candidate would be a goalie. There have been small goalies
in the NHL before, plus a woman who was 5'8" to 6' and plays hockey is not
unlikely. As far as other positions go, the strength of a player is very
important. There is already a bias against the smaller player in the NHL.
Therefore the smaller player has to be much better(in some aspect of the game)
to even get a shot.

Many of the women I've played against are damn good skaters and puck 
handlers(there's at least one who has a slapshot that I envy). In my mind
at least its not outside the realm of possibility that there will be a
woman who is very quick, fast and ruggid who may get a shot at the NHL
eventually.

> Having said that, I'll add that women's hockey is very fun to watch, as
> a lot of the top players have amazing tactical skills, and are very smart
> hockey players.  The game is different, that's all.  It's just too bad that
> women's hockey has so little exposure...
> 

That exposure is increasing. No doubt the Olympics will have a Woman's
tournament soon.

> Marc
> -- 
> Marc J. Ouellette  (vv1@dgp.toronto.edu)         Les Canadiens sont l`a!
> "Angry words won't stop the fight, two wrongs don't make it right" - U2
--
Gerald Gryschuk            Saskatoon,Saskatchewan = a place with 9 months
gerry@sask.usask.ca           of hockey and 3 months of poor skating.
Go Habs!!!