Minnesota among original franchises in new women's pro hockey league

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - Minnesota will be one of the six inaugural teams in the new Professional Women's Hockey League team. 

The new league was introduced on Tuesday, with teams in six markets: Minneapolis-St. Paul, Boston, New York City, Montreal, Ottawa and Toronto. 

"On behalf of ownership and our board, I am honored to announce the official name of our new league and to unveil the blueprint for this historic inaugural season. And we are especially proud to be providing this new platform for elite women athletes," said Los Angeles Dodgers President Stan Kasten, who is on the board of directors of this new league. "Our great game has the power to captivate and connect sports fans everywhere, and we are thrilled to plant roots in six of North America’s most passionate hockey markets."

The other board of directors includes Billie Jean King, sports executive Ilana Kloss, and Dodgers Senior Vice President of Business Strategy Royce Cohen.

The puck will drop in January. The schedule will feature 24 regular season games per team, with the full schedule being announced in the coming months. 

"Today, we look ahead to a phenomenal future for the PWHL," said Jayna Hefford, PWHL Senior Vice President of Hockey Operations. "We have never seen more excitement and demand for women’s sports, and through the launch of this league, the top women’s players in the world will have the opportunity to reach even greater heights."

The league is in the process of securing six general managers, who will be responsible for building team rosters through free agency and the draft. The draft will be held on Sept. 18.