A women's hockey game at Gillette Stadium on Thursday that was "already heavily scrutinized for its structure received another setback when a player was injured on ice conditions that had been questioned earlier in the day," adding a "somber moment in a game that was intended to be a landmark, but at times was overshadowed by planning snafus," according to Seth Berkman of the N.Y. TIMES. The NWHL Boston Pride and CWHL Les Canadiennes played a "fast-paced contest" ahead of Friday's Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic, but the last three weeks "exposed women’s hockey to the hard business dealings of professional sports, along with its hierarchies and the need for more collaboration to advance the sport." After a report surfaced on Dec. 5 that an outdoor women’s hockey game was going to take place the day before the Winter Classic, organizers "said nothing until the NHL officially announced the game" last Monday. During the silence, fans and even players were "unsure of the details and baffled at how a formative opportunity might slip away." Sponsorship debates and fractures between influential hockey organizations were "clouding negotiations and adding to the worry." Business decisions "included no streaming or television options, even though other events throughout the day, including the NHL's alumni game, were broadcast live." At times, the day "felt like a full-fledged marquee event, except for the women’s game" (N.Y. TIMES, 1/1).
ALL THINGS CONSIDERED: YAHOO SPORTS' Greg Wyshynski wrote the game featured a "temporary peace" between two rival leagues, but "lit a match under simmering animosity with USA Hockey for one of them." But "given the conditions, it was a well-played game." Thursday was a "significant moment in the relationship between the established CWHL and the upstart NWHL, in its inaugural season." NWHL Commissioner Dani Rylan said, "This was a great first step. I would say that the NHL was standing in the middle, holding our hands as we walked to Gillette, so to speak. But it was a good first step." Wyshynski noted the stands were "dotted with spectators, but far fewer than the crowd that would watch the alumni game later in the afternoon -- a byproduct of the women’s game not getting a fraction of the promotion that the veterans’ game did, despite one ticket getting fans entry to both games" (SPORTS.YAHOO.com, 12/31).
