>> CATHY: EARLIER THIS FALL, MINNESOTA WAS AWARDED A TEAM IN THE NEW PROFESSIONAL WOMEN'S HOCKEY LEAGUE.

THE ORIGINAL SIX TEAMS WILL BEGIN LEAGUE PLAY IN JANUARY, WITH THE MINNESOTA TEAM PLAYING HOME GAMES AT THE XCEL ENERGY CENTER JUST DOWN THE STREET.

BACK WITH AN UPDATE FOR US, RACHEL BLOUNT COVERS SPORTS FOR THE STAR TRIBUNE AND HAS BEEN FOLLOWING WOMEN'S HOCKEY FOR A LONG TIME.

WELCOME BACK.

>> THANK YOU SO MUCH.

>> Cathy: THEY'RE GOING TO PLAY STARTING IN JANUARY BUT, GOSH, WHAT'S THE MINNESOTA TEAM NAME, DO WE HAVE A LOGO?

WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THAT?

>> NO NAME, NO LOGO, THEY HAVE A SCHEDULE, THEY HAVE A ROSTER, WE'RE STILL WAITING FOR BROADCAST INFORMATION SO A LOT OF DETAILS TO BE REVEALED: >> Cathy: ISN'T THAT ODD, THEY'LL START PLAYING IN JANUARY AND THIS IS ALMOST ENDS OF DECEMBER HERE.

>> IT IS ODD BUT ONE OF THE BOARD MEMBERS OF THIS NEW LEAGUE MADE A REALLY INTERESTING STATEMENT LAST MONTH, HE SAID HE'D BEEN ADVISED BY A LOT OF PEOPLE, A LOT OF EXPERTS THAT THEY SHOULD PUT THIS OFF FOR A YEAR, GIVE THEMSELVES TIME O GET ALL THESE DETAILS IN PLACE AND HE SAID, THESE WOMEN HAVE FOUGHT FOR SO LONG TO GET A TOP-CLOSE PROFESSIONAL LEAGUE, HE SIMPLY DIDN'T WANT THEM TO WAIT ANOTHER YEAR.

EMPTED TO GET THIS ROLLING AND FIGURED THAT IT'S OKAY TO START WITHOUT SOME OF THOSE DETAILS IN PLACE.

>> Eric: WHY THE XCEL ENERGY CENTER AS THE HOME BASE?

>> THAT IS WHAT THE TEAM LOBBIED FOR, THAT'S WHAT THEY WANTED.

THE MINNESOTA TEAM IS THE ONLY ONE OF THE SIX THAT WILL BE PLAYING REGULARLY IN AN NHL ARENA.

THE OTHER TEAMS ARE IN COLLEGE ARENAS, MINOR LEAGUE, JUNIOR HOCKEY, BUT THAT IS WHAT THEY WANTED AND IT'S PARTS OF THIS IDEA THAT THIS LEAGUE WILL BE A TRUE TOP-FLIGHT PROFESSIONAL LEAGUE ON PAR WITH ANY PROFESSIONAL LEAGUE IN THE WORLD, THAT THEY WANTED THEM TO BE IN THESE KIND OF VENUES, IF THEY COULD.

>> Cathy: I UNDERSTAND THAT BUT THAT IS A HUGE VENUE.

>> YES, IT IS.

>> Cathy: AND FOLKS -- WON'T IT LOOK A LITTLE EMBARRASSING TO HAVE IT HALF-FILLED OR NOT EVEN THAT SOMETIMES?

>> THAT'S AN ARGUMENT, WE'VE HEARD THE SAME ARGUMENT WITH THE GIRLS STATE HOCKEY TOURNAMENT FOR IGH SCHOOLS, YES, AND THE TWO SIDES OF THAT ARE, YES, I AGREE THAT IT CAN BE LACKING IN ATMOSPHERE AND IT CAN BE NOT A GREAT LOOK FOR THE GAME TO HAVE NOT ENOUGH PEOPLE TO FILL THE PLACE P. ON THE OTHER HAND, THERE'S THE IDEA THAT SHOULDN'T THE GIRLS HAVE THE SAME EXPERIENCE AS THE BOYS?

SHOULDN'T THE WOMEN HAVE THE SAME EXPERIENCE AS THE MEN OF PLAYING IN THE BEST ARENA IN TOWN.

>> Eric: YOU FOLLOWED THE AURORA, THE WOMEN'S SOCCER AND I WONDER WITH THE HOCKEY, IS THERE THE SAME EXPECTATION FOR THAT AURORA STYLE BUY-IN FROM THE FANS?

SEEMED LIKE THAT WAS A REALLY GRASS ROOTS EFFORTS THAT REALLY WORKED.

>> >> VERY MUCH SO AND I THINK WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN HERE IS THE GOPHERS' WOMEN'S TEAM HAS AN ESTABLISHED FAN BASE AND THE PREVIOUS WOMEN'S PROFESSIONAL TEAM, THE WHITE CAPS, HAD A REALLY GOOD FAN BASE.

THEY FILLED UP TRIA RINK AND OF COURSE TRIA IS A VERY SMALL VENUE BUT THEY SOLD THAT OUT PRETTY REGULARLY WHEN THEY WERE PLAYING THERE AND SO THEY KNOW THAT THIS IS A GOOD MARKET, ND, IN FACT, THE LEAGUE SAID, MINNESOTA IS THE GEOGRAPHIC OUTLIER HERE.

ALL THE OTHER TEAMS ARE ON THE EAST COAST.

THEY CHOSE MINNESOTA TO BE IN THE ORIGINAL SIX BECAUSE OF THE STRENGTH OF THE MARKET FOR WOMEN'S HOCKEY.

>> Cathy: AND IT IS A REALLY GOOD MARKET FOR WOMEN'S HOCKEY, TRULY.

>> IT IS, ABSOLUTELY.

ONE OF THE FEW MARKETS IN THE COUNTRY WHERE YOU'VE GOT AN ESTABLISHED WOMEN'S HOCKEY PIPELINE AT THE HIGH SCHOOL LEVEL, THE JUNIOR LEVEL AND THE COLLEGE TEAM IS VERY WELL FOLLOWED.

>> Cathy: AND THIS ROSTER, IF YOU LOOK AT THE ROSTER, THE QUALITY OF IT IS PRETTY DARN FINE, REALLY.

I-A TREMENDOUS AND IN FACT THIS IS WHAT WE'RE GOING TO SEE IN THIS LEAGUE.

IF YOU'VE WATCHED WOMEN'S HOCKEY AT THE OLYMPICS, THAT'S THE LEVEL OF PLAY THAT YOU CAN EXPECT HERE.

THESE WILL BE THE BEST PLAYERS IN THE WORLD AND, IN FACT, MANY OF THE PLAYERS YOU SEE AT THE OLYMPICS WILL BE PLAYING IN THIS LEAGUE, SO THERE WILL BE FAMILIAR NAMES FOR OLYMPIC HOCKEY FANS.

>> Eric: OVERSEAS PLAYERS WILL BE ELIGIBLE.

>> ABSOLUTELY, THERE IS A SCHECK PLAYER ON THE MINNESOTA TEAM, I BELIEVE THERE ARE A COUPLE OF FINNS, SO WE'LL SEE EUROPEAN PLAYERS ON THE ROSTERS.

>> Eric: TELL US ABOUT CHARLIE BERGGRAFF, THE NEW COACH.

>> THAT'S SOMEONE NATTY DARWITZ, THE MANAGER HAS KNOWN FOR A LONG TIME, HE'S A WARROAD NATIVE AND NATALIE WANTED HIM AS THE COACH BECAUSE OF HIS RAPPORT WITH PLAYERS, HIS PERSONAL MANNER.

HE'S A VERY UPBEAT, VERY SUPPORTIVE GUY, PLAYERS LOVE PLAYING FOR HIM, HE'S ALL ABOUT LOCKER ROOM CHEMISTRY, HAVING A GREAT TEAM ATMOSPHERE.

HE'S GREAT AT THE X >> Eric: AND Os, AS WELL, BUT I THINK IT'S PRIMARILY THE WAY THAT HE DEALS WITH PLAYERS IS WHY NATALIE WANTED HIM.

>> Eric: >> Cathy: SO STILL NO DECISION ON STREAMING OR TV RIGHTS OR RADIO OR NOTHING, RIGHT?

>> ONE F THE BOARD MEMBERS, STAN CASTON SAID IN A CONFERENCE CALL NEXT MONTHS, ALL THE GAMES WILL BE STREAMED AND HE SAID MOTION OF THEM WILL BE AVAILABLE ON TELEVISION.

THEY HAVE NOT REVEALED YET WHETHER THAT'S GOING TO BE OVER THE AIR TV, WHETHER IT WILL BE CABLE, WHAT IT'S EXACTLY GOING TO BE BUT THEY ARE SAYING THEY HAD DEALS IN THE WORKS TO GET MOST OF THE GAMES ON TV.

>> Eric: I'LL SEE YOU