Noora Räty Signs With A Men’s Finnish League
(photo: press image from yle.fi)
The woman who made a splash at the Olympics by announcing her retirement from women’s hockey is back in the news. Or, at least, Finnish news. According to Finland news source yle.fi, Noora Räty has signed a contract with Kiekko-Vantaan of the Mestis League to play during the 2014-2015 season. If Google translate is correct, then Kiekko-Vantaan head coach Jami Kauppi believes that Räty is one of the best goaltenders in the world.
Should Räty successfully carry out her contract, she would become only the second female player in the history of the Mestis league after Hayley Wickenheiser who played ten games with Kirkkonummen Salamien back in 2003-2004.
In other big news for women hockey players, Shannon Szabados, who backed the Canadians an overtime victory for Olympic gold, agreed to a deal with the Columbus Cottonmouths with the Southern Professional Hockey League. Don’t set your DVRs just yet, though, because she told ESPN.com that she may not play this year. “I haven’t been in the gym, I haven’t been on the ice, I haven’t been sleeping well,” Szabados said. “It’s been a whirlwind. I told (the coach) I’m not going to rush into anything. If I don’t feel comfortable, I might not even play at all this year. “I want to go there and get on the ice and see how I feel. I still have to unpack from Sochi and pack for this. I’m not too worried. It’s only been two weeks.”
[…] for the game, but for the simple fact that she needed to make a living. About a month later she signed with a men’s team, as have other female goaltenders–the only position that has this option. She played three […]