The Clarkson Cup will keep praising women’s hockey champions in Canada regardless of a league’s uncertain future, says former governor widespread Adrienne Clarkson. Clarkson, us of a’s governor fashionable from 1999 to 2005, commissioned and donated the trophy meant to be the girl equal of the NHL’s Stanley Cup. The Clarkson Cup turned hoisted into the air by the victorious team in the Canadian Women’s Hockey League, which has introduced its’ll fold after 12 years. “The Clarkson Cup will usually be there to be the image and the trophy for the best women’s hockey,” Clarkson instructed The Canadian Press on Monday.
Clarkson spoke with CWHL meantime commissioner Jayna Hefford and board chair Laurel Walzak earlier Monday. “I even have the utmost respect for human beings like Jayna, who is a 4-time Olympian herself, that they care about the sport and that they care approximately it being played properly and well, and that’s what we cling our hopes on in reality,” the former governor standard stated. “I’m taking an extended view.” A week after Clarkson passed her namesake trophy to the successful Calgary Inferno, the CWHL introduced it’s going to stop operations May 1 because “the commercial enterprise model has demonstrated to be economically volatile.”
“I apprehend definitely that the now not-for-earnings version just didn’t work,” Clarkson said. “I’ve acknowledged that for 10 years, pretty frankly.
“I’ve continually questioned how those extremely good women analyzing to be doctors and some already lawyers and teachers have been playing for those pitiful quantities of cash, when in fact sports may be very expert and is a commercial enterprise.” The Clarkson Cup changed into hoisted into the air through the positive group inside the Canadian Women’s Hockey League, which has abruptly introduced its going to fold after 12 years. “The Clarkson Cup will constantly be there to be the symbol and the trophy for the satisfactory ladies’ hockey,” Clarkson informed The Canadian Press on Monday. Clarkson spoke with CWHL interim commissioner Jayna Hefford and board chair Laurel Walzak earlier Monday.
“I actually have utmost admire for humans like Jayna, who is a four-time Olympian herself, that they care about the sport and they care approximately it being performed nicely and nicely, and that’s what we hang our hopes on in reality,” the former governor popular said. “I’m taking a protracted view.” A week after Clarkson passed her namesake trophy to the successful Calgary Inferno, the CWHL introduced it’ll give up operations May 1 because “the enterprise version has proven to be economically volatile.” “I understand certainly that the not-for-profit model simply didn’t paintings,” Clarkson stated. “I’ve regarded that for 10 years, pretty frankly. “I’ve always puzzled how these first-rate women reading to be doctors and a few already lawyers and teachers were gambling for these pitiful quantities of money when in reality sports is very expert and is a commercial enterprise.”
Walzak told The Canadian Press that the league wanted greater revenue on Sunday, while Hefford stated the league turned into finished even though an economic savior rode to the rescue. The CWHL’s overseer’s first eleven years says she does not recognize what transpired in the yr in view that she stepped down that caused the league’s surprising death. “I’m saddened like the gamers,” former commissioner Brenda Andress told The Canadian Press. “I’m a firm believer within the ardor of the gamers and the ardor of these still there. I assume that something will come. I don’t suppose it’s over.” The CWHL become a seven-crew league with finances of $three.7 million in her very last season at the helm in 2017-18.
Revenue from the addition of two Chinese teams helped CWHL start paying its players an annual revenue of between $2,000 and $10,000. The two Chinese teams amalgamated into one for 2018-19. The CWHL owned and operated the Inferno, Toronto Furies, Markham Thunder, Les Canadiennes de Montreal, Worcester Blades, and Shenzhen KRS Vanke Rays this beyond the season. The league survived the 2015 arrival of the U.S.-based NWHL, which threatened to poach megastar gamers with the chance of better salaries. Andress didn’t want to comment on whether the league’s business version turned sustainable or no longer. The CWHL’s 200 gamers, coaches, and trendy managers and team personnel had no inkling their league turned into approximately to fold, but Clarkson said she did. “About two weeks in the past, Jayna and Laurel got here to peer me and fill me in on what was taking place,” she stated. “They prepared the ground for me. They said ‘the not-for-profit model became no longer working.’ “It sounded worse than it’s ever sounded.”
Players stepped up their calls during the last yr for one ladies’ expert league in North America. Hefford, a former CWHL superstar, agreed that become a concern while she took over for Andress’s ultimate year. The CWHL’s disappearance creates a hockey void in Canada to be filled either by a replacement league or through the NWHL’s growth into Canada. The NHL has supported ladies’ hockey on multiple fronts but appeared reluctant to flex its strength as a likely league owner with leagues running. The for-profit, five-crew NWHL referenced NHL commissioner Gary Bettman and deputy commissioner Bill Daly announcing, “We invite all leaders to join us in building a powerful girls’ league for the U.S. And Canada.” Whatever the destiny of a ladies’ hockey league in Canada, the CWHL played a critical position, Andress stated.
From the record 175,000 who tuned in to look at the Clarkson Cup very last March 24, to the first all-superstar recreation in an NHL area, to the primary transgender player going public together with her identification, Andress says the CWHL made its mark on hockey, society, and those’s lives. “The CWHL has made a difference,” she stated. “You can’t erase the ones 12 years because the effect has been phenomenal on the young children. “There are so many kids gambling hockey proper now because of the one’s professional athletes. There are so many young those who say, ‘I’m going to grow as much as a fashionable manager, I’m going to grow up to be an ops person due to the fact the CW existed because it showcased excellence.” The stars of the ladies hockey are in Espoo, Finland, making ready for the world championship beginning Thursday. Canada’s roster is the most impacted by the loss of the CWHL as 18 of the 23 in Espoo played in the league.
Six Americans, including U.S. Assistant captain Hilary Knight, played for CWHL clubs. Finland ahead Venla Hovi (Inferno) and goaltender Noora Raty (Rays), as well as Japanese defenders Sena Suzuki (Furies) and Aina Mizukami (Inferno), had also been inside the league. In the wake of Sunday’s declaration, several Canadian gamers published the identical announcement on their social media money owed: “The only factor more potent than the initial shock of the information, changed into the pressure felt using every unmarried one of the gamers coming collectively. We know what we’ve got isn’t always sufficient. We need to build a higher destiny for ourselves and for generations of girls to come. That begins now.” The Clarkson Cup, designed by using Inuit artists and depicting the ocean goddess Sedna, awaits. “The goddess will rise again,” Clarkson vowed.
