The Canadian WomenB次元官网网址檚 Hockey League is no more despite a recent surge in the visibility of the womenB次元官网网址檚 game.
A week after the Calgary Inferno won the league championship and hoisted the Clarkson Cup trophy, the CWHL announced Sunday morning in Toronto that the 12-year-old league will discontinue operations May 1.
B次元官网网址淯nfortunately, while the on-ice hockey is exceptional, the business model has proven to be economically unsustainable,B次元官网网址� the league said in a statement.
A record-175,000 fans tuned in to watch the Clarkson Cup finale in Toronto.
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The CWHL was founded in 2007, and had six teams in North America and China this past season.
The league included national team players from the United States, Canada, Finland, Japan and China.
B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檓 heartbroken at the news of the #CWHL folding,B次元官网网址� Calgary Inferno forward Brianne Jenner said on Twitter.
B次元官网网址淗ard to process this after our most successful season to date. Thank you to the builders, players, coaches, GMs, fans that made it possible for 12 seasons. We will rebound from this.B次元官网网址�
Sami Jo Small, who co-founded the league in 2007, was named general manager of the Toronto Furies last summer.
B次元官网网址淚 have no idea what this means for the future, but this is heartbreaking,B次元官网网址� Small tweeted. B次元官网网址淲e will work hard to ensure there is still womenB次元官网网址檚 hockey in Toronto.B次元官网网址�
Inferno forward Blayre Turnbull and Les Canadiennes de Montreal forward Marie-Philip Poulin posted identical reaction on Twitter:
B次元官网网址淭his morning we were informed the #CWHL is folding. As players, we will do our best to find a solution so this isnB次元官网网址檛 our last season of hockey but itB次元官网网址檚 hard to remain optimistic. #NoLeague.B次元官网网址�
The CWHL operates like the MLS in that the league owns the teams.
Former player Jayna Hefford was appointed interim commissioner last year when Brenda Andress stepped down.
The CWHL began paying its players salaries in 2017-18 ranging from $2,000 to $10,000, out of a total budget of $3.7 million.
The addition of two expansion teams in China that season B次元官网网址� since amalgamated into one B次元官网网址� was believed to have injected hundreds of thousands of dollars into the CWHL.
But the CWHL lost a major financial backer in November when longtime supporter Graeme Roustan withdrew the sponsorship of his venture capital firm Roustan Capital.
And the new coach of the Chinese womenB次元官网网址檚 team hinted recently that he hopes the players soon wonB次元官网网址檛 have to travel internationally to develop into better players.
B次元官网网址淚 think the biggest goal now is to have a league or some competitions here in China where we can play good games,B次元官网网址� Jakob Kolliker told China Daily.
B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 important for the future.B次元官网网址�
Donna Spencer, The Canadian Press
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