Faced with the threat of their sport being excluded from the Winter Olympics after 2014 because of a lack of competitiveness, women’s hockey officials have held preliminary discussions with the N.H.L. about forming an N.H.L.-supported women’s league.
"I was in a meeting just this week with the N.H.L. and all the stakeholders in women’s hockey, and I think we have the ear of the N.H.L.," Hayley Wickenheiser, 32, a Canadian forward regarded as one of the game’s greatest female players, said Thursday.
"They’re looking at it right now from a sponsorship level to get it off the ground,Charm bracelet," Wickenheiser said, referring to the N.H.L. "We’re not talking about big salaries,watches, just sensible steps to get it on the ice to entertain people and see where it can go, and then down the road having an elite, W.N.B.A.-type league."
Bill Daly, the N.H.L. deputy commissioner, said the talks had taken place over a number of months and were very preliminary, but they were aimed at setting up a "women’s league or women’s competition."
The sense of crisis for the sport emerged after the Vancouver Games. As in the previous three Olympics, it was one-sided, with Canada and the United States dominating their European opponents. Canada beat Slovakia, 18-0, in one game; the United States beat Russia, 13-0, in another.
On the eve of Canada’s 2-0 victory over the Americans in the gold medal match, the International Olympic Committee’s president, Jacques Rogge, said that women’s hockey "cannot continue without improvement." The comment raised the specter that the sport might go the way of softball,pendants, which was dropped from the Olympics because of the dominance of the United States.
Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort is thanking the men and women who serve our country in a big way by offering free golf to active or retired members of the U.S. military, and encouraging other golfers to participate in the Patriot Golf Day Program honoring those who made the ultimate sacrifice.
Individuals with valid active or retired military identification are invited to play for free on any of Sandestin’s three championship golf courses, Raven Golf Club,tiffany, Baytowne Golf Club, and The Links Course this September 3-6. Golfers can call 850-267-8155 to book their tee times and are not restricted to certain times on any course.
Sandestin is also leading the way among golf courses nationwide with their participation in Patriot Golf Day. Sandestin is calling patriots including guests and local residents to action by asking them to add $1 or another amount of their choice to their green fees that will go directly to the Folds of Honor, non-profit organization that provides post-secondary educational scholarships for the children and spouses of military men and women who were disabled or killed while serving our country. The Patriot Golf Day Campaign is jointly supported by The PGA of America and the United States Golf Association. Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort has promised to match every dollar that is donated in conjunction with Patriot Golf Day.
According to Rick Hileman, PGA director of resort golf operations, Sandestin is honored to open our courses in this creative way to honor the men and women who have so bravely served our country.
Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort Florida offers one the most complete resort experience in North America, with a wide selection of golf options and packages for any level player. Sandestin is a 2,400-acre destination for all seasons and for all ages, located on Northwest Florida’s Emerald Coast, an area recognized as one of the top 2010 destinations in the world by Frommer’s. The resort invites guests to enter a world of 30 charming neighborhoods from the beach to the bay featuring 1,400 villas, town homes and a wide variety of hotel accommodations. A member of Beaches of South Walton, Sandestin features four championship golf courses, 15 world-class tennis courts, 19 swimming pools,earrings, a 98-slip marina, a fitness center and spa, 65,000 square feet of meeting space and The Village of Baytowne Wharf, a pedestrian village with shops, dining and nightlife. Visit www.sandestin.com or call 1-877-870-5915.