Like many other global sports, men’s hockey leagues have overshadowed their female counterparts. However, the last thirty years have seen the successful launch of female sports leagues; with the overturn of the NWHL and CWHL, there’s now the Premier Hockey Federation and an elevated IIHF.
The establishment of new leagues highlights the ongoing push to elevate women’s sports—not only does this help garner new fans for leagues, but it also helps develop younger players by expanding resource pools for training, recruitment, and more.
One of the biggest highlights for many fans and stars is the inclusion in major video game installations from creators like EA Sports and 2K. For context, FIFA added women’s teams in 2015 to their EA Sports releases, while the NBA did the same in 2K Games’ 2019 release.
A Major Add-On for EA Sports
In early December 2021, EA Sports announced its latest release in its NHL series will include women’s teams and stars. The NHL 22 simulation was released on October 15, with developers now working to incorporate female sides into the game’s tournament mode.
This marks one of the biggest wins for international women’s hockey, which could help onboard new fans. In the US, in particular, the recent boom in sports betting is another way for hockey fans to choose a favorite team in the Premier Hockey Federation.
For example, one FanDuel sportsbook review highlights the group’s varied betting markets. As one of the senior oddsmakers founded in the US, hockey is a popular sport on offer. However, the group only covers women’s teams when the Olympics roll around—will more exposure in an EA Sports release encourage groups to offer more coverage for leagues like the PHF or Sweden’s Women’s Hockey League?
While it’s too soon to tabulate the positive effects, the latest release will provide crucial exposure for the top hockey talents around the world.
Ten National Teams Up for Grabs in NHL 22
Though NHL 22 covers the North American league, creators haven’t implemented a similar PHF format. That means the only way to play as a women’s hockey team is through the game’s tournament mode, as stated above. This covers the IIHF specifically.
Unlike the NHL and other domestic leagues, the IIHF brings together national teams in a World Cup-style, annual competition. Since the IIHF began in 1990, Canada and the US have been particularly dominant, with eleven and nine gold finishes, respectively.
However, EA Sports hasn’t yet released which teams will make the final cut. While Canada and the US are a shoe-in, gamers will have to wait for ongoing announcements as the developers prepare for the updates, which will launch in January 2022.
Stars Eager to Review Their Ratings
NHL 22’s updates are a big deal for gamers and hockey fans alike. Though the wait will be hardest for diehard NHL 22 gamers, it will also be a big deal for the female athletes expecting to see their likeness represented in a game… and especially their scores.
Typically, athletes are highly interested to see how their season’s stats translate into a player rating. These ratings directly influence the speed, agility, skill, and more of their characters in the game, which is likely to make them a favorite with gamers.
For example, Kendall Coyne Schofield, an Olympic medalist from the US Women’s National Ice Hockey Team is eager to see her speed rating from EA Sports. Back in 2019, she became the first female athlete to compete in the NHL All-Star weekend, during which time she competed in the fastest-skater challenge.
Still, Coyne Schofield won’t be pitted against other individual athletes. Instead, women’s teams will be able to face off against one another in a tournament mode that replicates the Women’s World Championships. This means there won’t be any teams or game modes that allow Coyne Schofield to play against or with male competitors… at least, not yet.
In addition to adding women’s IIHF teams, the NHL 22 update will also include IIHF World Junior Championships.
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