Wickenheiser the 'Female Gretzky:' says Finnish Media

[northernbillfan]

I had the plesure of meeting her once during a game in the NWHL.

The local media are already calling Hayley Wickenheiser the female Wayne Gretzky.

The arrival of the Canadian women's hockey star has shaken things up in this small tourist town, known until now as a haven for bird watchers.

Wickenheiser's decision to join Salamat, a second-division club in the Finlandia men's league, drew television stations — including a crew from Hockey Night in Canada — to an average mid-week workout Wednesday.

But with just a couple of days to go before Wickenheiser becomes the first woman other than a goaltender to play in a men's league, this was no average practice.

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[Twistmyarm]

all I know is she's no Cammi Granato...

[Ð]

Sue Prestige, the WTSN senior vice-president, was not about to let Hayley Wickenheiser skate into the record book on Saturday without broadcasting the event.

Wickenheiser, a key member of the Canadian women's hockey team, will make history when she becomes the first female hockey player, who is not a goaltender, to play in a men's professional league. The Shaunavon, Sask., native will suit up for the Kirkkonummen Salamat, a team in the Finnish Hockey Federation's second division.

Prestige called to see if any television outlets in Finland would be broadcasting the Kirkkonummen-Kettera game, with an eye on picking up the feed. But when she discovered that Finnish second-division games normally were not broadcast, she hired a Helsinki production company to shoot the game for WTSN.


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[Sabre Ally]

Shaunavon? Hey, that's where Warrener is from.

Enjoy the game BD. I wish I could see it.

[SABURZFAN]

if she can score,why not have the SABRES sign her?(sarcasm)

[Ð]

It's an interesting, little known fact that the Canadian Women's Olympic hockey team played regular, full contact exhibition games against MTHL (Toronto) midget AAA teams in the months leading up to the Salt Lake City Olympics. These teams are where NHL'ers like Jason Allison, Eric Lindros, Anson Carter, etc. played before getting drafted by their junior club & believe you me, some of the roughest hockey in the world is played in the MTHL.

Apparently, the women held their own & Wickenheiser was like a mini Tie Domi/Wendell Clark out there, hammering everyone who got in her trolley tracks.

[Don Cherry]

Haley is a lot tougher than cousin Doug, #1 overall pick in the 1980 draft.

What a bust.