The National Women’s Hockey League today confirmed
reports that Canada’s elite female hockey league will adopt a
Memorial-Cup-style four team Round Robin Championship competition
for the 2002 Championship. The 2001–2002 NWHL season will now
signal a truly National competition. The newly affirmed Vancouver
Griffins will represent the Pacific Division as they travel to Brampton
Ontario for the 2002 NWHL finals. The 2002 season Championship will
feature the Quebec Eastern Division champion, the Ontario Western
Division champion, the host city team The Brampton Thunder, and the
Pacific Division’s Griffins for a round-robin competition to
arrive at the two
teams who will battle for the NWHL cup that presently resides in the
off season at the hallowed Hockey Hall of fame.
The City Of Brampton will for this the third year host the exciting
NWHL final competition commencing March 27th to the 31st. The bonus
this year is that Brampton is guaranteed a spot. The 2002 NWHL championships
will signal the conclusion of a very special year for women’s
hockey as Canada’s Women’s Olympic Hockey team is slated
to compete on the world stage in the team features a very large contingent
of players from the NWHL. Once the Olympic torch is extinguished in
Salt Lake, many of these familiar world-class elite Canadian female
hockey names will triumphantly return to the ranks of the NWHL and
compete for "their own Cup" at the NWHL 2002 Championship
in Brampton.
Over the summer the NWHL board of governors met several times in Kingston
as the NWHL consolidated two teams, and embraced the young hungry
fangs of the Vancouver Griffins. As the wheels of female hockey continue
to grip the ice, movement in the Eastern Division saw the confirmation
of the exit of the Laval Mistral from the league. Also hitting the
showers is the Toronto Sting. Both teams valiantly tried to keep pace
but due to budgetary restrains and lack of quality players, were unable
to keep a competitive edge on the blades. By cutting the weak, the
NWHL strengthens the remaining teams bloodlines, and quells some critic’s
calls for a consolidation of talent. The NWHL Board of Governors also
worked through two-time NWHL Championship runner up Ste Julie Panthers
being sold. With the vigorous bidding and negotiations for the sale
and control of the famed Panthers, these developments now heralds
the start of corporate Canada’s recognition of the marketing
potential of Women’s Hockey and the NWHL’s emergence as
the place to be for consistent international quality female hockey
talent. Just look at the NWHL’s Montreal Wingstar who recently
scored big time by signing a lucrative sponsorship deal for their
Montreal based team. All signs point to a stronger well oiled NWHL
machine.
Now from the West coast the NWHL’s Vancouver Griffins are guaranteed
a trip to the show in Brampton. The Griffins leap to the Finals signals
the first solid steps of the leagues expansion in the West. Vancouver’s’
Griffins are a perfect example of the new breed of NWHL team, built
from the ground up on a solid business platform, headed by a sharp
business organization, and effectively poised for success, backed
by brains and solid investment. The Griffins have made substantial
in roads in making strong marketing ties with the NHL’s Vancouver
Canucks, while pushing for expansion of the Pacific Division. Additional
discussions over the summer in Kingston focused on the inquisitive
probing of several investors for Western based cities looking to establish
NWHL teams. If the NWHL continues on this power play, in several years
the NWHL could be a fifteen-team league with teams representing almost
every province in Canada, culling the best female hockey players in
the world, how about those "grapes"!
Last season nine NWHL teams traveled to the exquisite facilities of
US hockey’s Lake Placid Olympic training center to compete against
the US National team in exhibition games. As a result, there have
been several US based border cities that have made inquiries as to
the cost of NWHL franchises. Not dropping the puck, NWHL President,
The Honorable Susan Fennell has entertained numerous discussions with
our hockey rivals in the United States.
Internationally, foreign elite female players recognize that the NWHL
is the place to be if you want to play the best in women’s hockey.
Canada has established an enviable international reputation with NWHL
teams like the Brampton Thunder and the new Vancouver Griffins where
for the first time in many careers of these elite female players they
do not have to pay… to play. These teams are established on the
basis of a professional hockey organization where hockey support and
training facilities are paramount to building a winning team. Unfortunately
not all NWHL teams are in that bracket, but each season teams and
the league at large move closer to these benchmarks.
Over the past two seasons the NWHL has received national television
coverage of six live broadcasts on WTN the Women’s Television
Network. WTN’s support of women’s sport and the NWHL brand
of hockey is pivotal to the increased awareness and appreciation.
With the Canadian television industry’s launch of an unprecedented
amount of new broadcast channels, the clean NWHL stick to stick passing,
and relatively non violent brand of hockey expertise of these elite
women, is a hotly sought after property. Presently, negotiations for
the Live broadcast of 2002 NWHL season games featuring numerous returning
Canadian female Olympic ambassadors are in the final stages. NWHL
president The Honorable Susan Fennell said,
"The level of hockey
expertise these women possess merit
National television broadcast
attention. These NWHL ladies
exemplify successful women
who are, mothers, entrepreneurs,
athletes, even engineers
but most of all great hockey players.
What better role model
would you want for your daughters."
Fennell, who does double duty as the President of the NWHL and Mayor
of The City Of Brampton, the thirteenth largest metropolis in Canada
winning her mayoral seat in a landslide over the incumbent, was instrumental
in bringing the NWHL to National media attention, and responsible
for raising the bar of women’s hockey in Canada. Although Fennell’s
skating ability on the ice is questionable, her focus, energy, guidance
and finesse off the rink continues to push the NWHL further in expansion,
and increased corporate financial attention. The NWHL has great momentum,
and with the 2002 Olympics, will be a sweet reminder to all Canadians
of the great female hockey talent that sleeps, at least for the moment
in Canada’s National Women’s Hockey League.
For More information Please contact:
Michael A. Charbon, MAC Productions Inc.
Executive Producer, Broadcast Properties,
National Women’s Hockey League, NWHL
905.270.7616
MACProductionsInc@NWHLHockey.com
Or on the Web at leagues official web site:
www.NWHLHockey.com
