The clock hadn't even struck noon before a bombshell was dropped on the hockey world; the Canadian Women Hockey League announced that it would be stopping its operation on May 1st due to an unsustainable business model. What does this have to do with the Canadiens you ask? Well, the Montreal Canadiens entered into a partnership with the (then called) Montreal Stars all the way back in March 2015. A few short months later, in September 2015, the Stars were rebranded as the Montreal Canadiennes. Since then, they played a few games at the Bell Centre, and were able to use the Place Bell as their home arena sharing it with the Rocket.
The folding of the CWHL means that some of the best female players in the world are now without a team or a league. To be honest, when Hilary Knight chose to come and play with the Canadiennes, I believed that they had turned a corner. Being able to entice a top talent American player to cross the border and forget about the USA vs Canada rivalry was a big deal and so was a team that could count on both Knight (voted best female player by NHLPA) and Marie-Philip Poulin (Canada's golden girl who scored gold winning goals both in Vancouver and Sotchi). Unfortunately, today, that seems like one step forward followed by two steps backwards.
I know, many of you probably aren't fans of the women's game, but there is still a market for that product and I wish the NHL offered a helping end. Why? Well, I believe that there should be a Women's NHL much like there is a WNBA or a Women's Premiership in England. We've seen the women's game evolve a lot over the last few years and the Olympic tournament has started generating a lot of interest. With the proper financial backing, this could work and little girls could start dreaming of being professional hockey players just like their male counterparts. A woman will never play in the NHL, Manon Rhéaume might have been in net for a preseason game for the Tampa Bay Lightning but that was little else than Esposito trying to put his new franchise in the news.
I would like to see the NHL step up and create a women's league like the Football Association did in England. The women's FA National League (formerly known as the Women's Premier League) has been around since 1992 and is still going strong. The teams are paired up with their Premier League counterparts and can use their stadium and training facilities. On the men's team website, there are links to the ladies squads and they sell their tickets as well. I'm sure a similar business model could be put in place in North America for hockey. The Marie-Philip Poulin of this world deserve to have a professional league to ply their trade in and to further develop their talent. The women's game has brought us intense moments over the years and I want to keep those around.
If the Habs fail to qualify for the playoffs, we'll at least have a chance to see what Poehling can do. At 6'2'', he will bring some much needed size to the Canadiens centre line and if the World Juniors are anything to go by, the youngster has great potential. Should both he and Kotkaniemi mature into what's expected, they could be the Canadiens top two centres before long putting Philip Danault into a 3rd line centre role he would be much more suited to.
The timing of the signing is interesting though, just as Claude Julien decided to rest Kotkaniemi, he will have a new youngster to squeeze in the line-up should he deem it appropriate. I know the signing couldn't come before St. Cloud's was eliminated but it's just funny how it worked out. Chances are, Julien will have to see it fit to play him as Bergevin more than likely committed to Poehling playing in at least a game so that the first year of his contract would be burnt much like what happened with Charlie Lindgren. I've seen people on social media saying that this is sheer stupidity but the way I see it, it's better to burn the first year of his ELC than risk losing him for nothing if he went back to St. Cloud's next season, refused to sign and became a free agent.
Those two signings were the good news of the day in my book until I noticed on Twitter that some are already trying to get on Poehling's case for his political views... Sometimes I wish the media would remember that this guy is just a kid and still has plenty to learn. Surely we can find it in ourselves not to get on his case before he's even in town?
No more of this game in hand silliness, everyone is now on 79 games, can the Habs make it? In 9th, just outside looking in...HUGE week ahead! #GoHabsGo #Canadiens #Habs #CH pic.twitter.com/3XyXhUhTzT
— Karine Hains (@Pheebs888) April 1, 2019
The Canadiens have the hardest schedule of the 3 contenders clashing with Tampa, Washington and Toronto while the Canes will take on Toronto, New Jersey and Philadelphia and the Jackets will play Boston, the Rangers and the Senators.
John Cooper has already said that he doesn't plan on resting players but Victor Hedman left Saturday's game after taking an helmet to the chin and the Lightning may thread carefully with their prized D-man. As for the defending champions, they are still an excellent team and Ovechkin has just reached the 50 goal mark for the 8th time, hopefully he won't be too hungry on Thursday. It's still a possibility that everything could come down to the very last game of the season when the Leafs will be in town. They are 3-5-2 in their last 10 games and the Canadiens have been repeatedly beaten by them this season, the last game of the year seems as good a time as any for a much needed revenge. According to Sports Clubs Stats, the Tricolore now has a 26.9% chance of making the playoffs...Don't give up yet, the Habs are still breathing!