from Ken Campbell of The Hockey News,

Combine the folding of the most established women’s league in the world, the efforts of more than 200 players who believe they’re best serving the sport they love by not playing it and NHL teams increasingly pulling the chute on women’s hockey, it’s fairly easy to where all of this is going. And it leads directly to the Manhattan headquarters of the best league in the world.

It appears women’s hockey is doing a very good job of cannibalizing itself in an effort to create a scorched earth, one that will provide the NHL with the blank canvas it wants before it throws its considerable weight behind women’s hockey. Kim Pegula basically tossed the keys on the table by relinquishing control of the Buffalo Beauts and the New Jersey Devils pulled their support for the Metropolitan Riveters. The NHL has long been of the opinion that it will not get involved in women’s hockey while there are still viable leagues in place, so a good number of those involved in the game seem to be doing their best to ensure the way is paved clear.

So we’re going to go out on a limb and assume, whether it’s in the short- or long-term, that the NHL is eventually going to provide the engine that drives the women’s game. Good luck with that to everyone involved. It’s been said before in this space and it will be said again: be careful for what you wish.

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