Malmo and Martin Set back By NCAA

The long arm or the ever seeing eye of the NCAA has once again inserted it's rules to prevent a young lady from making history in the Swedish Elite League. Kim Martin will probably opt to get her chance to show her skills in front of her home country another day.

Already famous for holding off the USA Women team's dreams of gold medal in Turin, Swedish goaltender Kim Martin has been told by her college in American, the University of Minnesota-Duluth, that there is still a possibility that playing in a try out game for the Malmo Hawks might ruin her amateur status with the NCAA regulations.

"It's a shame, because I've been waiting for this for a long time," Martin said.

The Swedish club tried to circumvent the rules and respect the goalies commitment to college hockey by not paying her or signing her to a contract. Erring on the side of caution, the rules only state that losing eligibility occurs when an athlete plays for a professional team.

In obvious disappointment, the Malmo hockey club offers a response to the lost opportunity.

"According to the (NCAA) rules, it could be interpreted that she loses her amateur status," Malmo president Tomas Stenberg said. "No one has been able to tell us what would happen. We don't dare take the risk that something will happen and she loses her future in college hockey in the USA."

I would only hope that this isn't going to be a hidden agenda for Malmo to exploit Ms Martin, fresh off her success in the Olympics. Perhaps she will get a shot like a couple of previous pioneers Haley Wickenheiser who played for Kirkkonummi Salamat in inland, and Manon Rheaume.

[Via: FOX Sports]