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LARSMONT  – I began watching hockey in 1961. I learned to skate in 1964 and was on a team shortly after that. I saw the king of Minnesota sports, high school hockey, at an early age, along with CHL games, NHL, WCHA and whatever other hockey I could find to watch or read about.  

I was severely "hooked" and that has never let up. I'm a huge fan, I played and coached and although my playing and coaching days are over, I watch the game in one form or another just about every day of the winter. I simply love it.   In the early ’90s when women's hockey began to evolve onto a bigger stage, I watched that too. If I'm being honest here the women's game of the era needed some work. It was clearly not the same as watching the game at other levels. But I expected that.  

I also expected that comparing the men's and women's games to each other was going to be a futile pursuit because they'll never be the same. I'm pretty sure that most people are well aware of the physical differences between the two sexes and that women don't have the capacity for strength or physical size growth that men do. It's an established scientific fact.  

For me that doesn't mean that I won't or can't watch the women's game and enjoy it. In fact my support of the women's game has never been stronger. And I'm happy to say that the women's game has never been in a better position than it is now.  

That doesn't mean that there are no challenges to overcome or that it is now perfect in its current existence because that wouldn't be true. But in assessing the improvement from those early ’90s up until now, it's nothing short of amazing.   On New Year's Day the Professional Women's Hockey League will hold its first-ever regular season game. It will feature Toronto versus New York, and the game is already sold out. That makes me smile quite a bit. This isn't the first women's pro endeavor to be certain, but where the others couldn't sustain, I like the chances at success that this new league will bring to the table. It is better funded and is being managed by people who have been around the game at many different levels and each of them has enjoyed success in differing ways.  

That's not to say that there haven't been some bumps in the road because there have. At this point the teams are known by their locations only, there are no team "names" as of yet. The team uniforms aren't as they will appear in the future because of the pending team name and color scheme decisions that have to be made. The marketing and promotion efforts don't appear to be at full engagement yet but the teams are in place, the coaches and rosters are ready to play and I believe in the ability of those involved to adjust on the fly and make this the success it can be.  

Of course there are naysayers among us. From my viewpoint a lot of the negativity toward the new venture appears to be based on sexism alone. In some of my reading and research into the new league, especially in media that has reader commentary ability attached, I've come across a lot of opinions that are against the new league. And most of it regurgitates timeworn talking points against the venture.   Within the past couple of weeks I engaged one such person who I'll refer to simply as "CC." This person believes no one will watch the league outside of "family and friends." The league is "politically correct futility." It is "low -alent" hockey. The insults continued to include all of the stereotypical bologna you've heard for years if you follow the game intently.  

CC goes on to state that we shouldn't pretend this is high-caliber hockey and that the league can't fold soon enough, among other negative comments unsupported by many facts. He generally seems to be harboring substantial internal angst that this is even occurring while he is still living and breathing. I'm guessing the genius CC isn't aware that the NHL was almost financially insolvent at least twice within the last 60 years.  

If you've gone through the many levels of observing the game you know that some fans or people involved with the game are known as traditionalists or hockey snobs. I guess they are called that because they might possess superior knowledge or hold opinions contrary to their own. Maybe I'm one, I don't know.   I've never ranked that nor does it matter to me. But it has occurred to me that if you are what I call a "true fan" and supporter of the game, you support it at ALL levels. That means wherever it is played and by whoever is playing it. That's me. I love the game. It's exciting and there is always something going on while the puck is in play.  

So why wouldn't I support women's and girl's hockey too? I understand that not everyone loves it to the extent that I do and that's OK. But for someone like CC who harbors an outright contempt for the women's game and then takes the time to make a big deal out of it on a public forum, that's just some sort of personal psychosis at work in my view. The sad part is that he wasn't alone on this forum, with others espousing his same views.  

We had a brief back and forth, the last of which he descended into name-calling and at that point it was no longer worth my time to respond to his misguided tripe. Sometimes those that cry the loudest know the least. I'm guessing CC has a boatload and a half of issues with women, hockey being the least of those.  

The women's game has never been better. The athletes have never been stronger and more athletic, the structure they play with has never been as advanced as it is now, and you would be hard-pressed to watch a game and say it wasn't exciting unless you were predisposed to hate it before you even saw it. That's where CC is I guess. Just because you have the ability to wrap your hate into some niftily worded posts on public threads doesn't mean you are right.  

Most of the growth in enrollment in USA Hockey in at least the past two decades has come on the girl's side. High school girls hockey in Minnesota has grown substantially as well. Sure, there are some co-op teams, but pretty much everyone who wants to play, can. And that's a good thing. Two of the best women's college hockey programs of all time are right here where they belong.  

To the six clubs that make up the new venture – Minnesota, Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa, Boston and New York – best wishes and good luck!   On Saturday the 6th, our local team will hold its inaugural home game at the Xcel in St. Paul! Make sure you get to St. Paul to take in some games this season! PEACE