PHF Roundup: Season Eight, Week Ten
Recapping a game between the Connecticut Whale and Montreal Force as well as the PHF's All-Star Game in Toronto.
Over the past week, the United States and Canadian women's national teams took the ice for a three-game Rivalry Series, with games held in London and Toronto, Ontario and Detroit, Michigan. It was a "friendly" – well, as friendly as you can get between such fierce rivals – competition ahead of the 2019 IIHF Women's World Championships, being held in Espoo, Finland, in April.
Unfortunately, at many times, the lackluster broadcasting and media coverage overshadowed the games themselves. From constant references to male relatives of the accomplished female players, to mispronouncing player names, to focusing more on chatter than actual play-by-play, the TSN broadcast (which was also used on NHL Network in the US) was frustrating to watch.
Although some may say that women's hockey fans should be "grateful" for any media coverage or broadcasting of games, the truth is this: women's hockey fans should not have to accept bottom-of-the-barrel broadcasting and be "happy" just to get any attention at all. While it is always fantastic to see women's hockey being broadcast nationally in Canada and the United States, coverage like this can do more harm than good.
In particular, the players on the national teams are accomplished athletes with merit of their own. They have won Olympic medals, World Championships, Clarkson and Isobel cups, and are paid to play professional hockey. Mentioning in every breath their relation to a man (for instance, a mention of Kendall Coyne Schofield was often followed up by discussion of her husband, who plays in the NFL; a mention of Amanda Kessel was followed up by discussion of her brother who plays in the NHL) works to diminish their accomplishments and is insulting to the players, the viewers, and to those of us who cover these athletes on a regular basis.
This doesn't just apply to the athletes on the ice, however. Even Caley Chelios, who was one of several analysts working for TSN during the Rivalry Series, was nearly always identified as "the daughter of Chris Chelios." She may be his daughter, but that isn't an accomplishment – it's just a fact. Caley is also a reporter covering the NHL's Tampa Bay Lightning for Fox Sports, has done color analysis for radio, and was previously an NCAA national champion with Northwestern University women's lacrosse.
Yes, these women may have relevant (or not) male connections. But it's not why they're here, right now, playing a hockey game. Often, we hear about these connections so often that it's not just a "fun tidbit" – it's almost a sort of validation for why these women are being broadcast, or paid to play hockey, or what have you. Mentioning a relative or connection once is often fine; mentioning it game after game is tiresome. (And these problems aren't unique to the Rivalry Series broadcast.)
How we talk about women's sports, and women in sports, matters.
We'll often hear about how these athletes have jobs or careers outside of hockey, but it's important to think about how these conversations are framed.
During the Rivalry Series, it was brought up several times that Ann-Sophie Bettez is a financial advisor "in her real life," as if playing hockey is just a fun fantasy, and what happens outside of the rink is the "real" thing.
It's also often not mentioned why these players have these other jobs – for instance, Bettez as a financial advisor, or Meghan Agosta whenever it's mentioned that yes, she's a cop. If media are going to mention these other jobs, they should also discuss why these professional athletes need them; discuss the financial side of women's hockey and what it would mean to get paid a livable wage.
On another note, every mention of Jocelyne and Monique Lamoreux was coupled with the fact that they were not at the Rivalry Series because they both had children. There were not nearly as many mentions of their on-ice accomplishments, such as how Jocelyne scored the game-winning shootout goal to win Olympic gold for the United States in 2018, or how Monique tied that same game near the end of regulation. No mention of their numerous Olympic medals, or World Championship medals. Choosing to have a family is a personal choice, and there's nothing wrong with having a family – but mentioning only that, without any talk of a woman's other notable accomplishments in her life, is a shame.
Let me repeat myself: how we talk about women's sports, and women in sports, matters. As women's sports grow and progress, so too should the broadcasting and media coverage – but that won't happen if we sit back and "take what we can get."
So – how SHOULD women's hockey broadcasts be done?
Women's sports, and women in sports, deserve better – and shouldn't settle for less.