# Governor General sez: Why not give the Stanley Cup to women's hockey this year? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 22, 2005, 9:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/governor-general-sez-why-not-give-the-stanley-cup-to-womens-hockey-this-year/291323 "2005-02-22T09:04:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![matt\_mcl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2005, 9:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/governor-general-sez-why-not-give-the-stanley-cup-to-womens-hockey-this-year/291323/1 "2005-02-22T09:04:05Z")
I don’t usually follow sports, but this seems like a very cool idea: [Globe and Mail](http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/ArticleNews/TPStory/LAC/20050222/MACGREGOR22/TPComment/Columnists) (subscription only; News-Googling “adrienne clarkson stanley cup” will get you in free): > [@](#): > > OTTAWA – The office that created the Stanley Cup believes it should still be awarded in 2005 – no matter what the National Hockey League says. … > > “Why not?” says Ms. Clarkson, “Women’s hockey has come along so far in the last few years.” > > She sees a showdown for the Cup between the Canadian and U.S. women’s national teams as a one-time-only opportunity that should not be missed. > > It would carry on the great tradition of the Cup; and, she believes, it would delight hockey-starved Canadians, six million of whom tuned in three years ago this month to watch the Canadian women, led by Campbell and Wickenheiser, defeat the United States for the Olympic gold medal in Salt Lake City. What do you think? If the fellows can’t get their act together, why not have the women compete for it? ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2005, 9:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/governor-general-sez-why-not-give-the-stanley-cup-to-womens-hockey-this-year/291323/2 "2005-02-22T09:10:11Z")
I have no real debate other than. NO! Just talking about it seems blasphemous. ---
**Author:** ![Harborwolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@Harborwolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harborwolf)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2005, 9:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/governor-general-sez-why-not-give-the-stanley-cup-to-womens-hockey-this-year/291323/3 "2005-02-22T09:26:57Z")
I’m agin’ it. Just seems to be a nod to political correctness and a way to grab some free publicity than “carrying on the great tradition of the cup.” Maybe they should try to find their own tradition. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2005, 9:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/governor-general-sez-why-not-give-the-stanley-cup-to-womens-hockey-this-year/291323/4 "2005-02-22T09:27:42Z")
I think it’s a great idea! Lord Stanley never said anything about constraining the Cup to the NHL… and it would serve the NHL owners and players right for being such obstinate poopyheads. ---
**Author:** ![voltaire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voltaire/32/313_2.png) [@voltaire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voltaire)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2005, 9:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/governor-general-sez-why-not-give-the-stanley-cup-to-womens-hockey-this-year/291323/5 "2005-02-22T09:38:23Z")
I think it’s a great idea. It’s the perfect punishment for all the NHL owners and players who let their greed get in the way of the game. The Cup should go to the best professional team currently in competition. If the women’s league gets it this time, I’ll bet the guys find a way to settle their differences next season. It’s either that, or hockey becomes the next sport where the women have more fans than the men. ---
**Author:** ![Scissorjack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c67d28/32.png) [@Scissorjack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scissorjack)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2005, 9:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/governor-general-sez-why-not-give-the-stanley-cup-to-womens-hockey-this-year/291323/6 "2005-02-22T09:40:39Z")
> [@voltaire](#): > > If the women’s league gets it this time, I’ll bet the guys find a way to settle their differences next season. It’s either that, or hockey becomes the next sport where the women have more fans than the men. Like beach volley-ball on ice? ---
**Author:** ![Odesio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/odesio/32/20003_2.png) [@Odesio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odesio)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2005, 10:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/governor-general-sez-why-not-give-the-stanley-cup-to-womens-hockey-this-year/291323/7 "2005-02-22T10:02:27Z")
> [@matt\_mcl](#): > > What do you think? If the fellows can’t get their act together, why not have the women compete for it? I’m a little confused since I thought the NHL was the one who owned the trophy. That’s what I get for not being a hockey fan I guess. I say, why the hell not? If these women can actually manage to have a season then I see no reason not to give the trophy to the victors. Marc ---
**Author:** ![Askia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/96bed5/32.png) [@Askia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askia)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2005, 10:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/governor-general-sez-why-not-give-the-stanley-cup-to-womens-hockey-this-year/291323/8 "2005-02-22T10:03:55Z")
I was thinking tennis, personally-- but ice beach volleyball. Hmmm. Hell, award the Stanley Cup to the women’s team and I might just tune in. ---
**Author:** ![Scissorjack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c67d28/32.png) [@Scissorjack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scissorjack)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2005, 10:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/governor-general-sez-why-not-give-the-stanley-cup-to-womens-hockey-this-year/291323/9 "2005-02-22T10:05:27Z")
> [@Askia](#): > > I was thinking tennis, personally-- but ice beach volleyball. Hmmm. It’d have headlights. ---
**Author:** ![Harborwolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@Harborwolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harborwolf)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2005, 10:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/governor-general-sez-why-not-give-the-stanley-cup-to-womens-hockey-this-year/291323/10 "2005-02-22T10:05:48Z")
> [@voltaire](#): > > I think it’s a great idea. It’s the perfect punishment for all the NHL owners and players who let their greed get in the way of the game. The Cup should go to the best professional team currently in competition. Ah yes, but what decides the best professional team in competition. There are now NHL players playing in Europe and on minor league teams on this continent. The womens teams may be professional, but it is not a given that they would be the “best team.” And being pissed off at the owners and players is no reason to go flipping around the tradition of the Stanley Cup. ---
**Author:** ![Askia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/96bed5/32.png) [@Askia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askia)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2005, 10:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/governor-general-sez-why-not-give-the-stanley-cup-to-womens-hockey-this-year/291323/11 "2005-02-22T10:20:40Z")
They’re already screwing with tradition by not having a season! What, letting the Cup sit around unawarded for a year is better? Let the women play for it. ---
**Author:** ![RumMunkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b19c9b/32.png) [@RumMunkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RumMunkey)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2005, 11:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/governor-general-sez-why-not-give-the-stanley-cup-to-womens-hockey-this-year/291323/12 "2005-02-22T11:49:23Z")
Personally I don’t like the idea of giving it to the Women’s “league”, but I do like the idea of awarding it in another way. Perhaps to the winner of the World Cup? > [@](#): > > I’m a little confused since I thought the NHL was the one who owned the trophy. That’s what I get for not being a hockey fan I guess. Yes, **MGibson** the NHL \*does \*own the trophy, (and they won’t be passing it around any time soon I gurantee you that). The cup was originally a ‘challenge cup’ where any organized team could challenge the current champions for the cup at any time and not originally the annual championship of any one league, so the basic concept isn’t out of left field though. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2005, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/governor-general-sez-why-not-give-the-stanley-cup-to-womens-hockey-this-year/291323/13 "2005-02-22T14:25:05Z")
It’s somewhat preposterous to demand the NHL give up its property to be awarded to some other team, irrespective of the persistent myth that the NHL doesn’t own the Stanley Cup. I’m as disgusted by the NHL as anyone - in another thread I advocated its destruction - but it’s their trophy.