WOMEN’S HOCKEY SCHEDULE
» Day 2
Saturday, Feb. 13
12–2:30 p.m.,Sweden
vs.Switzerland (UBC)
5-7:30 p.m.,Canada
vs.Slovakia (Canada
Hockey Place)
» Day 3
Sunday, Feb. 14
12-2:30 p.m.,U.S.
vs.China (UBC)
4:30-7 p.m.,Finland
vs.Russia (UBC)
» Day 4
Monday, Feb. 15
2:30-5 p.m.,Canada
vs.Switzerland (UBC)
7-9:30 p.m.,Sweden
vs.Slovakia (UBC)
» Day 5
Tuesday, Feb. 16
2:30-5 p.m.,U.S.
vs.Russia (UBC)
7-9:30 p.m.,Finland
vs.China (UBC)
» Day 6
Wednesday,
Feb. 17
2:30-5 p.m.,Canada
vs.Sweden (UBC)
7-9:30 p.m.,Slovakia
vs.Switzerland (UBC)
» Day 7
Thursday, Feb. 18
2:30-5 p.m.,U.S.
vs.Finland (UBC)
7-9:30 p.m.,China
vs.Russia (UBC)
» Day 9
Saturday, Feb. 20
Playoffs
2:30-5 p.m. (UBC)
7-9:30 p.m.(UBC)
» Day 11
Monday, Feb. 22
Playoffs
2-4:30 p.m.(UBC)
7-9:30 p.m.(UBC)
Semifinals
12-2:30 p.m.
(Canada Hockey Place)
5-7:30 p.m.
(Canada Hockey Place)
» Day 14
Bronze-medal game
Thursday,Feb.25
11a.m.-1:30 p.m.
(Canada Hockey Place)
Gold-medal game
3:30-6 p.m.
(Canada Hockey Place)
Canada
Hockey
Place:
1
DECONSTRUCTING THE GAMES
WOMEN’S HOCKEY: Will it be gold? Or silver?
There are differences between the men’s and women’s games, including rules about body-checking and face masks —
and the certainty that Canada will finish first or second. Canwest News Service writer Steve Ewen looks at the sport:
1.NORTH
AMERICAN
DOMINANCE
2.PROTECTION
Full face masks are
mandatory in women’s
hockey. Former national
team star Cassie CampbellPascall says players grow up
playing that way, so they
don’t find them restrictive.
“I’ve heard people say that
they can’t get into the game
that much because they
can’t recognize the girls
through their masks,”
says Campbell-Pascall,
now a hockey analyst
for CBC and TSN.“I don’t buy
that. Maybe it looks a little
minor hockey, but to me,
it’s a non-issue. I’ve never
bought that argument you
get from guys that you can’t
see.”
Twelve world-championship
tournaments have been held
and the Canadians and
Americans have met in every
title game. The Canadians
won the first eight crowns,
but the Americans responded
by capturing three of the past
four, including the 2009 title
last April in Hameenlinna,
Finland.
Canada is the two-time
defending Olympic champion.
The U.S. finished third behind
Sweden in Turin four years ago,
marking the only time a
North American team failed
to finish in the top two at a
major competition.
THE ATHLETES
5’ 8”
3.ON
BODYCHECKING
Bodychecking is illegal in
women’s hockey — but body
contact isn’t. Campbell-Pascall
says she’d like to see referees
more consistently allow
a player “rubbing out an
opponent along the boards.”
“I think they need to be more
lax on plays like that,” she says.
Campbell-Pascall is among
those who think the quality
of the sport could improve if
bodychecking was allowed.
She doesn’t buy into the
theory that it would hurt the
development of sport,
especially at young ages,
but she does think it would
be difficult to implement.
“Do you just throw it in with
everybody right away or do
you start in atom hockey
and say that every girl from
now on plays bodychecking?
I’m not sure.”
5’ 3”
Size matters
Big teams seem to
have an edge, going
by the final standings
at the 2009 world
championships.
Country
Average
Height
U.S.
Canada
Finland
Sweden
Russia
Kazakhstan
Switzerland
Japan
China
5-foot-7
5-foot-8
5-foot-7
5-foot-7
5-foot-6
5-foot-5
5-foot-6
5-foot-3
5-foot-5
Average
Weight
154
pounds
153
pounds
144
pounds
155
pounds
140
pounds
133
pounds
143
pounds
127
pounds
138
pounds
SMART FACTS
1.POSITIONING
THEMSELVES
Meaghan Mikkelson
played forward for
Canada at the world
championships last
April in Hameenlinna.
She made the 2010
Olympic team as a
defender. Julie Chu of the
United States has shuttled
back and forth between
wing and defence.
Switching positions isn’t
uncommon in women’s
hockey. Former Olympian
Cassie Campbell-Pascall
also pulled it off, making
the 1997 women’s world
all-star team as a defender, switching to forward
two years later and, in
2000, being named top
forward at the national
championships.
Campbell-Pascall ties it to
playing on teams with
small rosters growing up
and having to get used to
playing multiple positions.
2.RUSSIAN ROULETTE
Since 1997, the Russian
men have won a silver
and bronze at four
Olympics, while finishing
first (twice), second and
third (twice) at the last 13
world championships.
Over that span, the
Russian women have
one solitary third-place
showing at a combined
three Olympics and 12
world championships.
You can’t expect things
to be equal, but Russia is
a hockey nation, and their
women have a 20-29-2
record at those 15 events.
What gives?
“In 1997, they showed
up with no skates, no
sticks — we had to supply
them,” says CampbellPascall. She says the
Russian women’s under-18
team is “quite skilled,”
which bodes well for their
future.
3.CANADA’S NEXT
‘NEXT ONE’
Women’s hockey fans
rave about the young
players hitting the world
stage now, saying they’ve
benefited from better
coaching through
the ranks and more
opportunities.
Consider that CampbellPascall is one of the top
players ever to come out
of this country and
she insists 18-year-old
Canadian phenom
Marie-Philip Poulin is “20
times better” than she was
at that age.
“I wasn’t even close to
where she is now.”
Campbell-Pascall says
Poulin will end up as
one of the best forwards
Canada has ever
produced.
FOR MORE ON THE 2010 WINTER OLYMPIC GAMES GO TO VANCOUVERSUN.COM/2010
Hayley Wickenheiser, Canada,forward
The 31-year-old from Shaunavon,Sask.,is widely
considered the best player in the game.She made
her international debut at 15,and her game today
relies largely on determination and power.
The three-time Olympian is the only Canadian
woman to reach the 300-point plateau.
Jennifer Botterill,Canada,forward
The 30-year-old from Winnipeg is the only twotime winner of the Patty Kazmaier Award as the
NCAA player of the year,taking the honour in
both 2001 and 2003 with the Harvard Crimson.
She also won world championship tournament
most valuable player awards in 2001 and 2004.
Angela Ruggiero, U.S.,defence
The 30-year-old Californian has played in three
Olympics and nine world championship,named
to the all-star team four times.The 2004 winner of
the Patty Kazmaier NCAA player of the year award
gained mainstream notoriety for appearing in the
2007 season of The Apprentice.
Julie Chu, U.S.,forward
Winner of the Patty Kazmaier NCAA player of the
year award in 2007,Chu was the leading scorer at
last year’s world championships,with five goals
and 10 points in five games.The right-handed
Chu has played in six world championships.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Emma Laaksonen, Finland,defence
The 28-year-old blueliner is taking
part in her fourth Olympics.As a
16-year-old,she was part of the 1998
squad that won bronze and was
co-captain of Finland’s teams in 2002
and 2006. She played her college
hockey at Ohio State from 2000-04.
Noora Raty, Finland,goaltender
The 20-year-old plays for the
University of Minnesota Golden
Gophers.Through her first 16 games
this season,she was 12-2-2,with
a 0.89 goals against and a .965 save
percentage.In 2008,she led Finland
to a 1-0 win over the U.S.at the world
championships,where she was named MVP.
Kim Martin, Sweden,goaltender
Rehabbing from knee injuries,the
23-year-old didn’t play a minute at
last year’s world championships but
says she’s healthy now.Martin’s best
known for backstopping the Swedes
to a 3-2 shootout win over the U.S.
in the semifinal of the 2006 Olympic
Games in Turin.The Swedes went on to win silver.
GRAPHICS:BY ROGER WATANABE AND MAGGIE WONG/VANCOUVER SUN