Let's Hear It For The Women

I don't think anyone will complain about the excitement in the finish at the 2023 IIHF Women's World Hockey Championship that wrapped up tonight in Brampton, Ontario. We saw the Czechs earn their second-straight bronze medal with another spirited game against the Swiss, and the Americans broke the hearts of Canadians with their win that saw Hilary Knight put her mark on this tournament with her 100th point at the World Championship. Perhaps more importantly, though, four women in the broadcast booth showed that their voices matter as TSN's combinations of Kenzie Lalonde and Cheryl Pounder were exceptional on their calls while Daniella Ponticelli and Sami Jo Small brought the fun and knowledge to the games they called in their first work together.

There's no doubt that most female hockey players were watching the action on the ice tonight as the Americans rattled off three goals late in the gold medal game to earn their World Championship gold medals, but the broadcast crews that were working all 31 games at the tournament are proof that one doesn't need to be wearing skates to make an impact in this game. Having female broadcasters is something this game has long been needing, and seeing the professionalism and knowledge of the four women in the booth made the games that much better.

We've seen women's hockey grow on the ice with players getting better and better each year. We've seen women become extremely good officials at a number of levels, and there's hope that we may one day see a female official skate in the NHL. The coaching ranks have become stronger with the likes of Jessica Campbell, Kori Cheverie, Nicole Kirnan smashing through barriers to stand behind benches occupied by men's teams. Should we really be surprised seeing the talent that TSN assembled pushing the women's game to higher levels with their fantastic calls?

We can't forget the other female broadcasters who have become mainstays for their hockey thoughts and opinions on numerous broadcasts throughout the hockey world. From Tessa Bonhomme and Jayna Hefford to AJ Mleczko and Jennifer Botterill, we're seeing some incredible women move into positions traditionally held by men, and the results have been not only positive, but the games are better with the women lending their voices and perspectives.

There will be people who say, "Yeah, but what about Leah Hextall?" after she's been embroiled in some rather bad calls this season, and I'll admit that we all have broadcasters we just don't like calling games. I'm not here to pile on with those who are criticizing Hextall - she is a professional and she should be giving her best anytime she's on the microphone. Personally, all of ESPN's broadcasts leave a lot to be desired, so she may be a product of her environment more than she's doing this herself. I always thought she had a good handle on the game when calling CWHL games.

What's very apparent, though, is that Canadian broadcasts of hockey still are the standard when it comes to men's hockey, and it's very apparent that TSN's broadcast teams for women's hockey are setting the bar incredibly high for any other network that may want to enter the picture. I know TSN only holds regional broadcast rights for a few teams in the NHL, but I'd love to see Kenzie and Cheryl call an NHL game at some point as well. Cheryl's work on Ottawa Senators games is already well-regarded, so let's get Kenzie in the booth to call her hometown team's games at some point!

I guess what I'm saying after all this is that considering how good the action was on the ice watching Poulin, Jenner, Nurse, and Fillier battle Knight, Murphy, Roque, and Heise, the commentary done by Lalonde and Pounder made it better. The same goes for Ponticelli and Small who handled the B-Pool games with enthusiasm, smarts, and professionalism as well. This entire tournament was made better by having these four women call games, and they deserve a ton of kudos for the work they put in to make tonight's finish so special!

Before We Go...

I was browsing through Twitter during the gold medal game tonight, and the IIHF posted a five-minute video of Czechia head coach (and Calgary Dinos head coach) Carla MacLeod who was wearing a microphone during the preliminary round game between Czechia and Switzerland. I'll have comments below, but listen to how MacLeod talks to her players and their reactions to MacLeod's coaching style.
Honestly, I'd go through a wall for Carla MacLeod had she coached me like she does for Czechia. I never had Carla as a coach, but that kind of positive reinforcement and good-natured fun is clearly paying off when one considers Czechia's back-to-back bronze medals at the Women's World Championships. I know she's only been on the bench for one season, but if she can mould the Dinos the same way she has with Czechia and reinforce her team with her bubbly personality as she showed above, the Dinos might be the next team ready to break out in Canada West!

Might Carla be the next woman on her way to a WHL, AHL, or NHL bench? The Hitmen, the Wranglers, and the Flames all play in Calgary, so the options are there. However, it seems that MacLeod has a great thing going with Czechia, so I'm curious to see if any of her players land in Calgary at some point to help bolster the Dinos' roster.

Keep an eye on Carla MacLeod. Especially if she's talking about pizza!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!