Just a quick question here as I am talking to sources and will have a rumor update later today....

Yesterday, My daughter and I were watching Finnish goalie Noora Raty be absolutely dominant against Canada when my daughter, a soccer goalie herself, asked if she could play in the NHL? My first instinct was of course, "No. She is too small and would get lost in the speed of the men's game," but I didn't want to crush her spirits right away and I showed her the video of Manon Rheaume who once in the Lightning system and played in a pre-season game for the Bolts...



And that was before women's hockey was anywhere near where it is today.

Noora Raty is 24. And while she may have lost two games in the Olympics to the US and Canadian teams, she has stopped an amazing amount of shots and made several "Can you believe she stopped that?" type of saves. But she is no flash in the pan. Last year Noora backstopped the University of Minnesota and went 38-0 with a 0.964GAA and a save percentage of .956.

Canada's goalie Shannon Szabados, 27, accomplishments are truly groundbreaking as she has already played in plenty of men's tournaments and was first woman to play in the WHL. She played pre-season games for the Tri-City Americans. She played college hockey for the men's team at Grant MacEwan University in Alberta.

Jessica Vetter, 28, Team USA's top net-minder, recorded 39 shutouts in 91 games playing for the University of Wisconsin, As well as dominating in men's hockey competition.

Will any of these three see an NHL team?

Maybe not, but the path has been put down and women's hockey is really still at the beginning. As the number of women playing hockey continues to climb worldwide so will the training.

If any major pro sport holds the possibility of breaking the gender barrier it is hockey and if any position holds the possibility it is goalie. Goalie is about quickness and mental toughness.

I think it would be fantastic and I feel it is almost inevitable. Maybe not in the near future, but it is another reason we need to keep women's hockey in the Olympics. No question...So girls like my daughter can start their heads in motion...

Rumor blog to come.

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