♪♪ >> CATHY: MINNESOTA HAS A DEEP HISTORY OF WOMEN'S PROFESSIONAL HOCKEY, AND AN ANNOUNCEMENT EARLIER THIS WEEK MEANS THAT WILL CONTINUE.

THE TWIN CITIES WILL BE ONE OF THE ORIGINAL SIX TEAMS IN THE NEW PROFESSIONAL WOMEN'S HOCKEY LEAGUE.

LEAGUE OFFICIALS ANNOUNCED MINNESOTA WILL JOIN MONTREAL, TORONTO, OTTAWA, BOSTON, AND THE NEW YORK CITY AREA.

EARLIER TODAY, MINNESOTA NATIVE NATALIE DARWITZ WAS NAMED THE GENERAL MANAGER OF MINNESOTA'S TEAM AND LANDED THE NUMBER ONE PICK IN THE DRAFT LOTTERY.

HERE WITH MORE, RACHEL BLOUNT COVERS SPORTS FOR THE "STAR TRIBUNE" AND HAS FOLLOWED THIS STORY FROM THE BEGINNING.

IT IS SO GREAT TO SEE YOU.

WELCOME BACK.

>> THANK YOU SO MUCH.

>> Cathy: WOW, SO THE N.H.L., I NOTICE THAT THERE'S THIS ORIGINAL SIX, THE N.H.L.

HAD THE ORIGINAL SIX.

IS THIS INTENTIONAL?

>> IT VERY MUCH IS INTENTIONALITY, YES.

THIS NEW LEAGUE WANTS TO SHOW IT'S A SERIOUS LEAGUE.

IT'S A PROFESSIONAL LEAGUE.

IT IS A FIRST-CLASS LEAGUE.

AND SO ASSOCIATING ITSELF WITH THE N.H.L.

IN THAT WAY WAS VERY INTENTIONAL.

>> Eric: I WOULD THINK FOR WOMEN LOOKING AT THE WAGE AND THE BENEFIT PACKAGE, I MEAN, YOU COULD ALMOST DO THIS AS A DAY JOB.

>> YES, AND THAT WAS THE POINT THIS TIME.

THE GROUP THAT INITIATED THE DISCUSSIONS TO CREATE THIS NEW LEAGUE WANTED IT TO BE A PROFESSIONAL LEAGUE WHERE WOMEN WOULD NOT HAVE TO HAVE A SECOND JOB OR A THIRD JOB.

THEY WOULD TRULY BE PROFESSIONAL ATHLETES WITH WAGE AND BENEFIT PACKAGES THAT WOULD ALLOW THEM TO BE JUST LIKE MALE PROFESSIONAL ATHLETES.

AND IT APPEARS THEY NOW HAVE THE FINANCING PLACE AND THE SUPPORT IN PLACE TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN WITH THIS NEW LEAGUE.

>> Cathy: BECAUSE RIGHT NOW BE THAT'S NOT HAPPENING IN THE WNBA.

>> THEY PLAY OVERSEAS, THANKSGIVING THAT IS CORRECT.

>> Cathy: IS THERE A MODEL HERE WITH THE NBA SUPPORTING THE WNBA.

WOULD THE NHL HAVE SOME SORT OF MONETARY SUPPORT OF THIS LEAGUE GOING FORWARD?

>> THEY HAVE BEEN LOATHE TO DO THAT PREVIOUSLY, AND THEY HAVE SAID THEY WOULD NOT DO THAT UNTIL THERE WAS ONE SOLID PROFESSIONAL WOMEN'S LEAGUE.

THAT DOES NOT MEAN THEY WILL NOW JUMP IN AND DO THAT.

IT WAS MADE VERY CLEAR EARLIER THIS WEEK WHEN THE ANNOUNCEMENTS WERE MADE THAT THE NHL'S SUPPORT AT THIS POINT IS SIMPLY AS ADVICE, AND, YOU KNOW, MORAL SUPPORT, AND A LITTLE BIT OF COLLABORATION.

THEY ARE LOOKING AT THINGS LIKE THE NHL WILL BE HOSTING SOME GAMES FOR THIS NEW LEAGUE IN SOME OF THEIR ARENAS AND EVEN IN CITIES THAT ARE NOT PART.

ONLY SIX.

SO -- PART OF THE ORIGINAL SIX.

SO THE NHL IS HELPING OUT.

>> Cathy: SOMEBODY SAID TO ME TODAY, WELL, WOMEN'S HOCKEY, WHAT'S THERE TO WATCH, WHICH IS COMPLETELY INCORRECT.

WOMEN'S HOCKEY IS A GOOD GAME.

CAN YOU EXPLAIN THAT TO FOLKS?

>> YEAH, IT'S A TERRIFIC GAME AND I THINK THE PROGRESS THAT WE HAVE SEEN IN WOMEN'S HOCKEY FROM THE TIME IT JOINED THE OLYMPIC PROGRAM IN 1998, TO NOW, IS ASTONISHING.

IT'S STILL A VERY YOUNG PORT.

AND I THINK PEOPLE FORGET THAT.

IT'S AN EXTREMELY YOUNG SPORT.

WOMEN HAVE NOT BEEN PLAYING HOCKEY VERY LONG AT ALL.

AND SO THE PROGRESS THAT IT HAS ADE UP TO THIS POINT -- AND WE'RE SEEING THAT AT THE OLYMPICS AND THE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS, WHEN FOLKS WATCH THIS FOR THE FIRST TIME, THEY SEE A GAME, I'VE HEARD THIS FROM MANY PEOPLE.

OH, MY GOSH, THEY'RE PHYSICAL, THEY'RE FAST, THEY CAN SHOOT THE PUCK, FOLKS HAVE NO IDEA JUST HOW ADVANCED THEY'VE BECOME.

>> Eric: ARE THEY GOING TO BE THE WHITECAPS?

>> I DON'T THINK SO.

THEY HAVE NOT ANNOUNCED ANY NAMES YET FOR ANY OF THE NAMES.

NOR HAVE THEY ANNOUNCED WHERE THEY WILL PLAY.

BECAUSE I THINK THIS LEAGUE WANTS A CLEAN BREAK FROM LEAGUES IN THE PAST.

>> Cathy: WHAT DO YOU THINK OF NATALIE DARWITZ AS G.M.?

>> OH, PERFECT CHOICE.

SHE SAID TODAY SHE'S A BUILDER.

IT'S IN HER DNA AND THAT'S ABSOLUTELY THE CASE.

SHE'S A BRILLIANT HOCKEY MIND.

SHE KNOWS THIS MARKET AS WELL AS ANYONE.

SHE'S COACHED FOR MANY YEARS AND SHE'LL BE HIRING THE COACH, SO I THINK SHE CHECKS ALL THE BOXES FOR BEING A TERRIFIC G.M.

>> Eric: HOME ICE VENUE AND WHEN DO THE GAIRMS START?

>> THE GAMES WILL START IN JANUARY, PROBABLY CLOSE TO JANUARY 1ST.

IT WILL BE A 24 GAME SEASON IN THE FIRST YEAR, AND IT WILL EXPAND TO 32 GAMES IN FUTURE SEASONS WITH A COUPLE OF ROUNDS OF PLAYOFFS.

VENUES ARE UNCLEAR AT THIS POINT, BUT THEY'VE MADE IT CLEAR THAT THEY WILL NOT BE AT MUNICIPAL ARENAS.

THEY WON'T BE AT SAY, A TREE YA REPRESENTATIVE WHERE THE WHITECAPS PLAYED FOR A WHILE.

THEY ARE LOOKING AT NHL VENUES.

I THINK IT'S ENTIRELY POSSIBLE SOME GAMES WILL BE LAYED AT XCEL CENTER.

AND LARGER VENUES SUCH AS SAY, POSSIBLY A MARRY YIEWCH YEAR ARENA, A RITTER ERIN.

THAT WAS ONE OF THE FACTORS WAS PLACES THAT HAD PROFESSIONAL FIRST CLASS VENUES.

>> Eric: WHERE COULD I ET A T-SHIRT OR A SWEATSHIRT?

>> NO SWAG YET.

YOU HAVE TO WAIT FOR THE NAMES TO UNANNOUNCED I