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Sunday 6 April 1997

CANADA ASSISTS STRUGGLING HOCKEY PROGRAMS
                                    
Development: Women's hockey needs more contenders if it's to grow.

Martin Cleary
The Ottawa Citizen

Three-time world champion Canada has been at the forefront of women's
hockey since 1990, but it's extending a helping hand around the world
for the advancement of the game.

Canadian Hockey, the national sport governing body based in Calgary
and Gloucester, is increasing its commitment to reduce the huge
competitive gap between the Big Three and the rest of the world.

Canada, the U.S., and Finland have finished one-two-three respectively
in the first three world championships. They'll join China to fight
for more medals today on the final day of the fourth world women's
hockey championship. The gold medal match between Canada and the
United States is tonight (8 p.m., TSN).

"It will hurt us in the long term if only two or three nations are on
top,'' says Bob Nicholson, senior vice-president hockey operations for
Canadian Hockey. "We have to continue to help. Yes, we want to stay on
top, but we have a responsibility to help growing nations.

"Some nations are hot-housing 30 athletes, but to make it work, you
must develop players."

It's not unusual for Canada to lend a helping hockey hand. For many
years, Canadian men's coaches like Dave King and George Kingston have
given seminars or coached teams around the world. Referees also have
been sent to new hockey frontiers, and teams have travelled the world
to promote the game.

The 12-game preliminary round-robin at this week's worlds perfectly
illustrated the disparity in the women's game, which will have Winter
Olympic status in 1998.

Canada, as an example, outscored its three round-robin opponents
--Switzerland, Russia and China -- 22-2 and outshot them 157-24.

At noon today, Russia and Sweden will determine fifth place and the
final berth at the 1998 Olympics. One team will advance to the Games,
which will likely mean more money for its program and a great
marketing tool to sell the sport at home.

For the other three countries, women's hockey will be put under the
financial microscope.

That could have a serious effect on the future of the game. As
national and international officials plan new strategies to help the
weak countries, those same countries will be wondering if it's all
worth it.

The International Ice Hockey Federation and Canadian Hockey hosted the
first women's hockey coaching conference here this week. Canadian
Hockey also will sell the rights of its national coaching
certification program to the IIHF for use in developing countries.

Canadian head coach Shannon Miller has been recruited by Japan to
coach five to 10 of its top players this fall in Calgary.

The IIHF is thinking along the same development lines. The
federation's women's hockey committee will recommend to its Congress
this year to have the world women's championship become an annual
event beginning in 1999. It's now held biennially. The next two worlds
likely will be held in Europe.

"It will provide better opportunities for the development of female
hockey,'' said Frank Libera of Richmond, a member of the IIHF women's
committee.

There's also talk of starting a women's world B championship for
countries like Germany, Japan, and the Netherlands.

"I hope in 20 years we're all the same,." Miller said. "Ideally, you'd
like to have eight competitive countries here. But it's hard. If we
had that now, what would we work for."

American Cammi Granato, the most productive scorer in world women's
championship history, believes other countries need more girls and
quality coaches.

"Now that it's in the Olympics, people will respect it and know
there's a place for women on the ice," she says.

Norway didn't qualify for the Olympics and can expect its national
team program to see a reduction to its $70,000 (Cdn.) budget, fewer
international matches and no development opportunities for young
players.

"We need help. We need ideas," said Norwegian coach Torbørn Orskaug,
who selects his team from only 340 players. There are more than 24,000
female players in Canada.

France Montour, who won gold medals for Canada in 1990 and 1992 before
becoming coach of Team Switzerland three years ago, will have to wait
until 2002 for a chance to play in the Olympics.

Sweden eliminated Switzerland 7-1 on Friday.

But Switzerland is taking the right approach, building a young
national A team (average age 21) and initiating a national B team from
its pool of 600 players.

But for the gap to close between the best and the rest, a laughing
Montour says: "They have to stop improving."

Copyright 1997 The Ottawa Citizen