Boston’s Professional Women’s Hockey League team is just a day away from their first game, a home opener against Minnesota.
The anticipation for Wednesday’s game has been building in the months following the formation of PWHL last year. Over 3,000 fans are expected to line the bleachers for the game at Tsongas Center in Lowell.
“The level of excitement is through the roof, I mean it's been a long time coming for a lot of us,” said Boston PWHL player Megan Keller.
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With teams in six cities across the U.S. and Canada including here in Boston, New York, and Minnesota, the creation of the league marks the third time a women’s hockey league has been launched in North America since 2007.
“Beyond the five years of this league in the making there have been 20 plus years of pioneers in women's hockey who have fought for something like this to exist,” said the General Manager for PWHL Boston Daniel Marmer.
The league officially dropped the puck on their inaugural season Monday when New York Beat Toronto.
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“Even watching the game that Toronto and New York played yesterday was pretty special -seeing some of your old teammates get to play in that first game is pretty cool, “ said Boston PWHL Jaime Lee Rattray.
But the formation of this league holds a more important meaning for players.
“A lot of girls have had 9 to 5 jobs, odd jobs to try and pay the bills and also continue to train at the highest level so to be able to walk in and truly be treated as a professional hockey player has been nothing short of amazing, “ said Keller.
Ahead of their first game, players received the chance to meet with retired Boston Bruins Center Patrice Bergeron.
“He’s someone that I always looked up to as a player and a leader and a role model so to be able to play for same city as him its quite the honor,” said Keller.
The former Bruins captain will drop the puck at Wednesday's game between Boston and Minnesota.
On Tuesday, Bergy visited the PWHL Boston women's hockey team to announce that Hilary Knight will be serving as the team's captain for its inaugural season, saying Knight is an amazing ambassador for women's hockey and will be an amazing representative of the team and organization.
“I'm glad you'll get to experience Boston pro sports. It's an amazing place to play, and I wish you guys nothing but the best... It’s a historic moment,” Bergeron said to the team in a video posted on social media.
“As a former captain myself in Boston, I think you’re representing your teammates, you’re representing your community, you’re representing your fanbase but also you’re a role model for the younger generation, the young girls that wanna be in your shoes one day," he continued.
Bergeron then announced Jamie Lee Rattray and Megan Keller as the team’s assistant captains for this season.
