On Thursday, December 15, the national women's hockey teams representing the United States and Canada will meet at The Dollar Loan Center in Henderson.
And if you think the Golden Knights-Sharks series has some history and animosity to it, you don't know the half of it.
The United States and Canada have been the two superpowers in women's hockey since the first international competitions were staged in the 1990s. In six of seven Olympic Winter Games since the sport was introduced in 1998, these two have battled in the gold-medal game. The same holds true for 21 of the 22 IIHF World Championships all time.
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The women's game has exploded in popularity around the world, but the North American rivals have maintained their dominance. As other countries have elevated their game, so have the women from the U.S. and Canada - to the point where the pace and talent they play with today skates circles around their games from a decade or two ago.
"As you saw with Kendall-Coyne Schofield during the 2019 NHL All-Star Skills competition, the biggest factor that stands out is the speed of the players and how fast the game is," saidSheri Hudspeth, VGK's Director of Girls & Women Youth Hockey Programming. "Also, the physicality of the women's game. Fans may not know that body checking is not allowed in women's hockey, but body contact is, so this game will be a battle from start to finish. It's not going to be easy to get into the corners and play in front of the net. Without body checking the game is more of a finesse style of play - the players move the puck quickly and I expect to see some skilled offense from star players."
The rivalry itself deserves some of the credit for the improved play. Both sides of the border have been motivated to improve by the other, and the gap between them has almost never been more than a goal when it comes down to the championship games.
USA Hockey and Hockey Canada introduced the Rivalry Series in 2018 to extend these great games beyond the confines of World Championships and Olympics. Cities across North America have been able to enjoy these games, including stops at NHL arenas in Detroit, Anaheim and Vancouver. The two teams will play Nov. 20 at Seattle's Climate Pledge Arena.
Vegas is the latest setting to welcome these elite athletes, inside the sparkling new but relatively smaller confines of The Dollar Loan Center. It's a fitting location as so many world-class sporting events find their way to the city.
"We are quickly becoming one of the best sports cities in the world," Hudspeth said. "Coming off a world championship with the Aces in the WNBA, I think there is more support now than ever before for women's sports in Vegas. The Rivalry Series game is a great opportunity to showcase elite talent from both countries that you would not normally see outside of an Olympic year. I'm excited for the hockey fans here to see a great game and cheer on the U.S. at The Dollar Loan Center this December."
The 6,000-seat arena promises to be an intimate and intense location for the next installment in one of sport's best rivalries.
