Cheers and Jeers

Cheers to the US National Women’s hockey team on their fight for fair pay. It is vital and important to receive living wages for representing your country in these types of international events. Female hockey players usually have full-time jobs in order to actually live, and then have to take leave or quit just to go play. In a day and age where pay equity is at the forefront of the corporate world, these women are setting a wonderful and necessary example to girls around the world playing hockey.

Jeers to USA Hockey for its hard-line stance in this dispute. It’s asinine, archaic, and indefensible. There is no argument that can justify the paltry wages it pays its female players and it’s long overdue to right this wrong. What’s worse is that there was apparently a tentative agreement in place, then it was reported Monday that USA Hockey pulled out of that agreement. The women’s team is using the best (and only) leverage it has in boycotting​ the upcoming World Championship being hosted in the US. It’s really the only action these team members can take to drive effective and meaningful change. USA Hockey needs to leap into the 21st century and pay the ladies what they deserve.

Cheers to Brock Boeser. The Canucks’ 2015 first-round pick signed his first professional contract Saturday morning after his UND team was eliminated in double overtime from college hockey playoffs. He then made his NHL debut mere hours later in his home state of Minnesota against the Wild, in front of his parents and a huge family contingent. There were so many great moments from his debut: His dad, who suffers from Parkinson’s Disease, was asked to introduce the starting lineup to the entire Canucks locker room and his boy Brock started at right wing with the Sedins. Then there was his traditional solo skate, where his took a puck with him and just fired shots into the empty net all by himself. Just awesome. Finally, there was his first NHL goal, in his home state, in front of a huge group of family and friends. It was a dream start to what Canucks fans hope is a very long career in that #6 sweater.

Jeers to Jim Benning and Canucks management on wasting yet another contract on a needless signing. No, not Boeser. Boeser is wonderful. Yesterday, Canucks reportedly signed college UFA Griffen Molino. Molino joins a growing list of players on the Canucks payroll who have virtually no chance of ever seeing NHL ice. Molino joins Makenze Stewart, Yan-Pavel Laplante, Tom Nilsson, Michael Carcone, and Ashton Sautner as roster seat fillers. It’s an unnerving trend from a GM who sports a reputation as a supreme scout. I’m having a tough time seeing what he sees.

And finally…

Cheers to the start of one of the two best times of the year on the sports calendar. Hockey and basketball playoffs are on the horizon, March Madness is wrapping up and baseball’s regular season kicks off on Sunday. The next couple of weeks are an amazing time to watch. And given that I don’t have a massive vested interest in any particular team right now (good effort, good job Canucks!), it’s great to just sit back and take it all in and enjoy the drama and pageantry. Praise be.