The Beauts have been considered by many players to be the gold standard of the NWHLBUFFALO BEAUTS
The status of the NWHL Buffalo Beauts is "up in the air," as players have "serious doubts that the team will be operational next year," according to sources cited by Salvian & Strang of THE ATHLETIC. It is "not immediately clear when a decision will be made on the future of the team," but last week's announcement by more than 200 women's hockey players about boycotting the coming season "expedited concerns about the viability of the league as a whole." The Beauts, run by Pegula Sports & Entertainment, have been "considered by many players as the gold standard of the NWHL, particularly because of Kim Pegula’s involvement and influence." The Beauts are the "only franchise run independently from the league," and they "finished second in attendance in the NWHL last season" (THEATHLETIC.com, 5/6).
THE GOOD FIGHT: THE HOCKEY NEWS' Ryan Kennedy wrote the group of women's hockey players "could have sat quietly, played in the NWHL and hoped that things would get better." But they have "clearly chosen to fight and it is admirable beyond words." There is "no guarantee of victory, but there is honor in standing up for what they believe is right" (THEHOCKEYNEWS.com, 5/3). The TORONTO STAR ran an editorial under the header, "Players Take A Stand For A Better Future For Women's Hockey." It "takes a lot for elite athletes to sideline themselves but, as they said, this is 'our moment to come together and say we deserve more'" (TORONTO STAR, 5/5).
WILL IT PAY OFF? In Toronto, Damien Cox wondered if the women's hockey players' strategy makes "any sense." By "withdrawing the supply of their services, they are apparently banking on an underlying belief that there is a pent-up demand for those services that goes well beyond what most currently believe is the reality." Their demands "don’t seem" to line up "logically with the demand for women’s pro hockey in the marketplace, which is sporadic." Many observers believe this move is "actually a bid to drive the NWHL out of business, and set the stage for the NHL to swoop in as a white knight and establish a league with better salaries, benefits, facilities and training." Cox: "Quite a gamble" (TORONTO STAR, 5/4).
