Subj : Hitting in Womens Hockey: Why Not?
To : All
From : The Hockey Writers - Main
Date : Sat Sep 12 2020 04:40 am
Occasionally I will be asked for my thoughts as to whether hitting
(bodychecking) should be allowed in women';s hockey. For those unfamiliar with
the rules for the women';s game, while body contact is allowed and happens
quite regularly, bodychecking is not. Delivering a bodycheck constitutes a
two-minute minor penalty.
If you really want to know my personal opinion, I have never thought that
hitting was necessary in the women';s game. I feel that incorporating
bodychecking would take away from what I enjoy most about women';s hockey - the
skating, the playmaking, the puck battles, the sheer grace of the game. The
Connecticut Whale';s Jordan Brickner takes a hit from Buffalo Beauts forward
Brooke Stacey (Photo Credit: Michael Hetzel).
Without being able to bodycheck in order to neutralize an opponent or create a
turnover, there is a much more cerebral, tactical approach to women';s hockey
that you do not find in other sports. It is what led me to following the game
since Nagano ';98 and find a hockey hero in one of the players whose opinions I
will be offering up shortly.
My own opinion carries only a (very) modest weight to it, though I certainly
appreciate any instance where I am asked to comment on the game that I love
dearly. So when it was posed to me - "should there be hitting in women';s
hockey?" - the first thought that came through my head is that I am the wrong
person to answer this question.
The players have always been far better suited to respond to questions such as
these, and they are the ones whose opinions matter the most in this regard.
Therefore, having posed the question to them instead, I have gathered the
thoughts of 19 different current and former players from around the world to
weigh in on the matter.
Included among the 19 are eight Olympians, two Angela James Bowl winners, three
Isobel Cup champions, five Clarkson Cup winners, two NCAA champions and two
current NCAA Division I players. I am very thankful for all of the opinions
that each of them shared with me. Pernilla Winberg -�Linköping HC forward
(SDHL); 4-time Olympian for Sweden
"I think it would be hard to change the rules right now, and it would probably
take some time for players to adjust. I like it how it is right now because
it';s still physical but also very skilled hockey since it';s not all about
hitting."A. J. Mleczko - 2-time Olympian for Team USA; NBC and MSG Networks
hockey analyst
"I do not think the game needs it. As one of the bigger players when I played,
I imagine it would have benefited me, but the game is physical, fast and
incredibly entertaining as it is currently played. The only argument for
checking would be to make a more consistently reffed game - it would help
minimize the gray area that is at the ref's discretion. But as the game
continues to evolve, the officiating has become more consistent. I don't think
adding checking would be terrible, but I just don't think our game needs it."AJ
Mleczko played for Team USA at both the 1998 Nagano and 2002 Salt Lake City
Winter Olympics (Photo Credit: Bruce Bennett/Getty Images - as provided by MSG
Networks).Alyssa Gagliardi -�PWHPA defender; Isobel Cup and Clarkson Cup
champion
"I think the women's game thrives with body contact as it currently is because
it better highlights the skill of the game - passing, skating, shooting, stick
handling, making plays. You even see the boys and men's game transition to more
of a focus on body contact and less of the hardcore open ice hits because at
the end of the day, the point of the game - men's or women's - is puck
possession and scoring goals. I think the talent and skill of the women's game
is best showcased in its current form."Jillian Dempsey -�Boston Pride team
captain; Isobel Cup and Clarkson Cup champion
"The women's game is a great balance between skill and physicality. Even though
there isn't hitting, there's plenty of body contact and battling. I like the
focus being on speed and skill."Tatiana Shatalova -�Metropolitan Riveters
forward; former member of Russian Women';s U18 National Team
"I think that just like in men';s hockey that women';s hockey has emotions too.
Sometimes you want to use your hands and your body. On the ice, we don';t have
to be 'feminine'; - this is hockey."Tatiana Shatalova skates with the puck
during a Metropolitan Riveters game against Boston Pride on Dec. 8, 2019 (Photo
Credit: Kate Frese).
Caroline Ouellette - 4-time Olympic gold medalist for Team Canada; a Clarkson
Cup and NCAA champion
"I like our game the way it currently is with bodychecking disallowed. However,
I would like to see allowed body contact along the boards when two players are
skating in the same direction. I believe that referees should only call
blatant bodychecking and let a lot of physical play go. Our game should mostly
be played 5-on-5. Unfortunately, right now, we have to adjust to each referee
from game to game as some are very lenient with physical contact and some are
very severe. I want the physical play to be allowed."Marie-Jo Pelletier
-�Buffalo Beauts All-Star defender
"I don't believe hitting would be beneficial to women's hockey as it could take
away from some of the skill that is being showcased. The women's game can get
pretty physical without there being hitting. It could also discourage some
young girls to continue playing the sport."Defender Marie Jo Pelletier is one
of the Buffalo Beauts'; alternate captains (Photo Credit: Mike Hetzel). Venla
Hovi -�3-time Olympian for Team Finland; Clarkson Cup champion
"I think hitting in the women';s game is unnecessary. The game is getting
faster and faster, and the number of head injuries - in both women';s and
men';s hockey - is alarming. Women';s hockey is a physical game based on skill
and tactics, and I think men';s hockey will eventually have to adjust and make
changes."Jonna Curtis -�Minnesota Whitecaps All-Star forward; Isobel Cup
champion
"I may be biased but I think what makes women's hockey stand out is the finesse
we bring because we can't hit. And just because we can't ‘bodycheck' doesn't
mean our games aren't physical. Any women's hockey fan can tell you that our
games are very physical. I love a physical game, but it's just a different
style that we have adopted. So I guess I would say I don't think
‘bodychecking' is needed in women's hockey."Minnesota Whitecaps forward Jonna
Curtis rushes the puck up ice against the Buffalo Beauts on Jan 11, 2020
(Photo Credit: Collin Nawrocki).Alexandra Vafina -�SK Gorny Ukhta forward in
ЖХЛ; 2-time Olympian for Team Russia
"Personally, I think bodychecks and hitting in women's hockey aren't necessary.
It';s the game itself that is interesting. The beauty and the aesthetics of
ice hockey are concentrated in our style of the game without rough and tough
play. People like to watch the tactical style of the game, on-ice interactions
between linemates, and beautiful stickhandling movements."So Jung Shin -
Olympian with 2018 Korean Women's National Team, former Metropolitan Riveters
goalie
"I think women's hockey players in top leagues are already hitting during the
game, but not full-on bodychecking. The hitting is part of women's hockey now,
and probably audiences expect to watch hitting in women's hockey (when they
tune in). Female hockey players play at a very high level for performing
anything on the ice."Eveliina Suonpää -�Linköping HC goalie; 2-time Olympian
for Team Finland
"From my perspective, it is kind of hard to say since it doesn';t affect my
game as much. The women';s game is already very physical, but right now it';s
really hard for the refs to differentiate what 'contact'; means. Maybe there
could be room for changes in the rules to allow more body contact without it
overtaking the game."Linköping HC goalie Eveliina Suonpää is a 2-time
Olympian for Team Finland (Photo Credit: Jonas Forsberg / BILDBYRÅN).Jenny
Harß -�2-time Olympian for Team Germany; NCAA champion with UMD
"I guess I could go either way with it. I don';t think bodychecking would
define women';s hockey since it can be quite physical already anyways."Alva
Johnsson -�Long Island University forward; former member of Swedish Women';s
U18 National Team
"I love the physical aspect of the game. I am a big, smart player who plays
very physical, so bodychecking would really benefit me and my game. I do like
the way our game has developed without bodychecking - the fast, smart and
technical game. But personally I think women';s and men';s hockey should have
the same rules to make the sport grow and get more people to watch."Hanna
Thuvik -�Swedish Women';s U18 National Team
"I think we should change the rules and allow bodychecking and body contact in
women';s hockey. Today, the biggest difference between women's and men';s
hockey is the body contact and pace. Many people probably think that the beauty
of the game would be ruined and others are worried that the flow would
deteriorate. But I don';t think bodychecking would ruin the women';s game.
Rather, I think the pace would increase as the girls became stronger and wiser.
That would include being able to receive, give and undercut the
bodychecking.Hanna Thuvik in action for Göteborg HC';s during her first SDHL
season in 2018-19 (Photo Credit: Mats Bekkevold).
The risk is that the concussions would increase, but I think if girls got to
learn the body contact at the same age as guys, then more and more players
would be prepared to receive bangs like this. If the girls were given a chance
to do bodychecking, then I think interest in women's hockey would increase.
People miss the physical game. With bodychecking included, I think we can open
the women';s game up to a larger audience."Noemi Neubauerová -�Colgate
University forward; member of Czech Republic Women';s National Team
"Personally, growing up playing boys hockey I was used to playing the body for
the most part. I still find myself being more physical in some moments during a
game. In my opinion I think playing the body is an important aspect of hockey,
and since it is females playing against females, I would say to some extent
bodychecking should be allowed."Jess Jones -� PWHPA forward; 2016-17 CWHL
Angela James Bowl recipient
"Personally I don't think there needs to be hitting in the women's game. I
think if you see the way the men's game is going now it's kind of shying away
from hitting a bit more and going towards more skill and speed. I think that's
what the women's game is about today. The body contact is great. I think we can
even allow a little more of it but the game is moving away from those big open
ice hits. It's all about positioning and angling which is very challenging.
"Jess Jones scored 154 points (61G, 93A) in 136 NCAA games for the Mercyhurst
Lakers (Photo Credit: Mercyhurst Athletic Communications).Emma Vlasic -
Connecticut Whale All-Star forward
"I think there already is a lot of bodychecking in the women';s game, in my
opinion. I think the speed of the game is the most important aspect of both the
men';s and women';s game, and it';s not as much the hitting that takes away
from the speed but the hooking."Kateřina Mrázová - Brynäs IF forward;
Clarkson Cup champion and member of Czech Republic Women';s National Team
"I think bodychecking is a part of hockey and it should be allowed in women's
hockey as well. I am talking about bodychecking from the side when it is
shoulder on shoulder, same level. Also, not allowing bodychecking causes so
many other penalties like slashing or tripping and it is harder to take the
puck from an another player."
The post Hitting in Women';s Hockey: Why Not? appeared first on The Hockey
Writers.
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