Sports fans may have missed it, unless they were specifically looking for it, but on Jan. 23, the National Women鈥檚 Hockey League kicked-off its 2021 season, albeit with a very short season planned.
The league, which now boasts five teams, is playing a two-week run of games, with teams in a bubble and playing out of the Herb Brooks Arena at Lake Placid, NY.
While salvaging a season for the NWHL is important in terms of women鈥檚 hockey, especially with the recent demise of the Canadian Women鈥檚 Hockey League.
When the CWHL disbanded it left Canada without a pro women鈥檚 team, at least in a traditional city-based league, although that situation did not last long as the Toronto Six were announced as an expansion NWHL team, and their run in the new league began with the season opener in the bubble; a 3-0 to the Metropolitan Riveters.
A day later the Six fell 6-5 in an overtime shoot-out to the Minnesota Whitecaps as Saskatchewan netminder Samantha Ridgewell (interviewed in this space previously) made her first start.
So what鈥檚 it been like for the Six starting in a bubble south of the border?
鈥淚t鈥檚 safe,鈥� said Six head coach Margaret 鈥楧igit鈥� Murphy, who noted while she herself is American she had been in Canada since October, so it feels different stateside. 鈥�... This is nothing compared to Canada,鈥� she said, noting while the Six are in a bubble, outside their sphere, with the exception of people wearing masks much seemed rather normal, while in Canada (Ontario) there are closures and restrictions.
鈥淚t鈥檚 very strange to come back to the U.S. after experiencing Canada.鈥�
Murphy has an extensive resume as a coach -- head coach of the Boston Blades, with whom she won two Clarkson Cups, and the Kunlun Red Star WIH in the CWHL -- she was not exactly looking to step behind the bench again.
鈥淎fter I got back from China (Kunlun), and had done the Olympic thing over there I was trying to get things set up for some new successes,鈥� she related in a recent telephone interview, adding she was looking to expand into more of a role providing leadership in the sport.
But, when the pandemic hit raising start-up funding was not going to be easy, and the offer to coach the Six came along, so she took it.
鈥淚t was a natural transition to help these guys out,鈥� said Murphy.
So is there added pressure for Murphy and the Six to succeed as Canada鈥檚 lone team?
Murphy said there are always pressures to win, but added that is a good thing, noting she was once told 鈥減ressure is a privilege,鈥� and she believes that to be true, adding as she has matured she has changed too. 鈥淏ack when I was younger I would have been pressured but now I just try to savour every single moment.鈥�
And as for winning, that pressure 鈥渋s self-imposed鈥� by anyone playing or coaching in sport.
There was however some pressure to get a season, shortened as it is, off the ground, with Murphy terming it 鈥渋mmensely important鈥�.
鈥淲e are on a historic track to do things other women鈥檚 leagues haven鈥檛,鈥� she said, including having the league鈥檚 Isobel Cup semi finals and final set for broadcast by NBCSN, and a sponsorship deal with Discover. (UPDATE: the playoff weekend was cancelled due to COVID-19 numbers).
The bubble also comes with a cost, one born by team owners, which Murphy sends an important message too.
鈥淭hey鈥檙e committed for the long term,鈥� she said.
And Murphy sees a long term for the NWHL, and a future that can see substantial growth. That growth should include Canada, as she cited Montreal, and added 鈥渢here should be a team in Calgary.鈥�
Longer term she eyed what鈥檚 happening with the Kraken in Seattle and suggested a woman鈥檚 team could follow and then a natural rival in Vancouver.
鈥淭here could be 10-12 teams eventually,鈥� she said.
The more teams, the more opportunities for players to advance their careers, which is something missing on the women鈥檚 side, noted Murphy.
There are various pro and semi pro leagues male players can aspire too, but for women the options after college are much more limited. As those opportunities grow more women will pursue them.
And Murphy said the hockey in the NWHL is something 鈥渁ny hockey fan鈥� should be able to appreciate for the 鈥渟kating, passing and shooting skills鈥� the players exhibit. (I tuned into the opening weekend games of the Six and was certainly entertained by the effort shown.)
The league and the Toronto Six can be followed at
