This past season has been an interesting one for women who love hockey. Just when we feel cautiously optimistic about our treatment as fans, something happens that makes it clear women are not welcome in this boy’s club, no matter how committed we are to the game.
Whether it’s players using "girl" as an insult, journalists harassing women fans, fans making other fans feel unwelcome, or Gary Bettman explaining that it’s okay to use a woman’s name as an insult to a player’s ability, there have been a steady number of incidents that have caused women to feel unwelcome.