It's 7 am on a Wednesday and my household has come to a stop. Team USA is playing against Team Canada on USA Network. This is 'even a bigger rivalry than in Men's hockey' according to my daughter.
Team USA has won the last four meetings with Team Canada. The last one ended in a brawl. There will be no brawls on Olympic ice. But the intensity is there and you can see it.
Veteran announcers Doc Emeric and Pierre Mcguire are lending their voices to this preliminary game from Sochi. According to them, this is the best USA women's team they have seen, not just for their skill, but for their communication. Granted, it's hard to create offense in Women's hockey and there are so many blocked shots, but it's still exciting.
So it begs the question, with Women's hockey coming as far as it has, is it time for women to return to the NHL? Or should the women finally have their OWN professional league?
It's been 22 years since Phil Esposito signed Manon Rhéaume to play net for the Tampa Bay Lightning. While viewed as a publicity stunt, it was a ground breaking move. She only played in one exhibition game, but she did train with the team.
It's time for the women of today to do the same. If they cannot play in the NHL, they should at least train with the NHLers and perhaps even be included in pre-season exhibition games.
When Garth Snow drafted Blake Kessel he said the Isles had the "better Kessel." It was tongue-in-cheek at best, but the truth is there is even a better Kessel.
When I had the opportunity to interview Blake Kessel he told me that the best athlete in the family was Amanda Kessel. Maybe it's time for Amanda to find her way into the NHL.
Their shots are not as hard and perhaps they don't fly, but it would be interesting to see Amanda play alongside her male counterparts in the sport she loves -- that we all love.
It's time for the Women of hockey to get a little more respect -- and exposure.
New York Islanders Blogger • 
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