>> CATHY: IT'S PLAYOFF TIME FOR THE PROFESSIONAL WOMEN'S HOCKEY LEAGUE.

AND WHILE MINNESOTA'S TEAM ENDED THEIR FIRST SEASON WITH A SERIES OF LOSSES, THEY DID STILL MAKE THE PLAYOFFS.

GAME TWO AGAINST FIRST PLACE TORONTO IS IN PROGRESS HERE ON FRIDAY NIGHT.

AND RACHEL BLOUNT HAS TAKEN A QUICK BREAK FROM WATCHING THE ACTION TO JOIN US.

BLOUNT COVERS THE PWHL FOR THE "STAR TRIBUNE" NEWSPAPER.

HER PROFILE OF MINNESOTA G.M.

NATALIE DARWITZ AT THE END OF THE REGULAR SEASON COVERED THE FRONT PAGE OF WEDNESDAY'S SPORTS SECTION.

IT WAS A FABULOUS STORY AS ALWAYS.

>> THANK YOU.

>> Cathy: GOOD TO SEE YOU.

>> GOOD TO SEE YOU.

>> Cathy: IT'S LIVE FRIDAY NIGHT, WHAT'S THE SCORE?

S-ZERO-ZERO WHEN I CAME IN, WITH ABOUT 7 MINUTES TO GO IN THE SECOND PERIOD.

>> Cathy: HOW ARE WE LOOKING, BY THE WAY?

>> NOT GREAT.

GOALTENDER LOOKS TRAFFIC, TERRIFIC, MATTIE IS PUTTING UP A FIGHT TONIGHT BUT TORONTO HAS HAD THE BETTER PLAY TONIGHT.

THEY'VE BEEN OUTSCORED 223-8 IN THE SIX LOSSES IN A ROW, TWO HUTOUT OSSES SO THEY HAVE TO FIND A WAY TO MAKE SOME GOALS.

>> Eric: THE DREAM WAS TO PAY THEM, SUCCESS, FAILURE, STILL TO BE DETERMINED?

>> I THINK REALLY BY ALL MEASURES, THE LEAGUE'S BEEN A HUGE, HUGE SUCCESS.

THEY DREW 400,000 PEOPLE FOR 72 GAMES.

MINNESOTA WAS SECOND IN THE LEAGUE IN AVERAGE ATTENDANCE, ABOUT 7100.

ATMOSPHERE AT THE GAMES WAS TERRIFIC, AT XCEL ENERGY CENTER, THEY USUALLY FILLED THE LOWER BOWL AND CROWDS WERE PHENOMENAL.

THEY CHEERED, YELLED, THEY WERE SO ENTHUSIASTIC, THEY BROUGHT SIGNS.

100,000 YOUTube SUBSCRIBERS, THEY EXTREME THEIR GAMES ON YOUTube.

MORE THAN 40 CORPORATE SPONSORS, INCLUDING BANK, AIRLINES, THE OFFICIAL HAVE BEEN VERY CLEAR SAYING WE HAVE A LONG WAY TO GO BEFORE WE'RE ECONOMICALLY VIABLE, BEFORE WE'RE PROFITABLE BUT ALL THE INDICATIONS ARE FOR THE FIRST SEASON PARTICULARLY WITH HOW QUICKLY THEY PULLED IT TOGETHER, BIG HIT.

>> Cathy: WHAT'S ITS LIKE TO COVER SOMETHING LIKE THIS, A NEW LEAGUE FROM THE GROUND FLOOR UP?

>> IT'S REALLY EXCITING.

IT'S REALLY A LOT OF FUN.

I'VE BEEN SO IMPRESSED BY THE QUALITY OF PLAY IN THIS LEAGUE.

I DON'T THINK PEOPLE QUITE WERE SURE OF WHAT TO EXPECT.

WE ALL SEE THE U.S. AND CANADA IN THE OLYMPICS, WE'RE USED TO THAT QUALITIES OF PLAY BUT I THINK FOLKS WONDERED, ARE THERE ENOUGH QUALITY PLAYERS, IS THE TALENT POOL DEEP ENOUGH TO FILL SIX TEAMS AND MUCH QUALITY PLAY NIGHT AFTER NIGHT, AND THE ANSWER WAS YES.

I DIDN'T SEE A SINGLE GAME THAT I THOUGHT THAT WAS BORING, IT WASN'T ENTERTAINING.

ALL THE TEAMS ARE SKILLED, FAST AND IT'S VERY PHYSICAL BAND OF HOCKEY.

I THINK PEOPLE WILL BE REALLY SURPRISED IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN THIS LEAGUE YET, IF YOU'RE USED TO THE NO-CHECKING IN COLLEGE HOCKEY, THE REVS ARE LETTING THEM HIT IN THIS LEAGUE AND THE PLAYERS LOVE IT.

>> Eric: I WENT TO THE GAME AT MARIUCCI AND THAT'S WHAT I WAS GOING TO ASK YOU, IT ISN'T DAINT TEE.

>> NO, IT IS MOST DEFINITELY NOT DAINT TEE AND THERE'S ALWAYS BEEN CONTACT IN WOMEN'S HOCKEY, EIGHT LITTLE BIT OF A MISNO NOMER, THEY HEAR NO CHECKING AND THINK THERE'S NO PHYSICAL CONTACTS.

THERE IS BUILT IN THE THE MWHL, THEY'RE HITTING EACH OTHER.

THIS IS SOMETHING THEY WANTED, THEY WANTED TO BE ALLOWED TO PLAY A MORE PHYSICAL GAME AND SO FAR THAT'S BEEN PART OF THE APPEAL TO FANGS.

>> Cathy: WHAT IS PART OF THE GAME, REALLY, IF YOU LOOK AT THAT.

>> YES.

>> Cathy: HELP US OUT HERE.

WHY DOES THE MINNESOTA TEAM HAVE A NICKNAME FOR OGO YET?

>> THE LEAGUE SAID RIGHT UP FRONT THEY WERE GOING TO WAIT.

THEY WANTED TO GET THE FIRST SEASON GOING, THEY DID NOT WANT THE PLAYERS TO AVE TO SIT AROUND ANOTHER YEAR WITHOUT THIS LEAGUE, SOME OF THE PLAYERS WHO PUSHED VERY HARD FOR IT ARE IN THEIR 30s, GETTING CLOSE TO THE ENDS OF THEIR CAREERS AND SO LEAGUE OFFICIALS WANTED THEM TO BE ABLE TO GET IN AND PLAY AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.

BUT IT IS ALSO A LEAGUE THAT IS VERY IMAGE CONSCIOUS, THEY DON'T WANTS TO MAKE A MISSTEP, THEY WANT TO MAKE SURE THE LOGOS, NICKNAMES, THE FINAL COLORS, COLORS WE'RE SEEING NOW MAY NOT BE THE FINAL.

>> Eric: OH, REALLY.

>> ABSOLUTELY.

IT'S ALL A WORK IN PROGRESS.

THEY DIDN'T ANT TO RUSH INTO SOMETHING AND THEN REGRET IT.

>> Cathy: BECAUSE IT IS A WORK IN PROGRESS, SOME OF THIS REMINDS ME OF "A LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN," THE MOVIE.

NATALIE DARWITZ IS WASHING STINKY JERSEYS AND IT'S LIKE IT'S KINDS OF CRAZY, YOU KNOW.

HOW LONG CAN SHE HOLD ON TO KEEP THAT GOING, FOR GOODNESS SAKES?

>> SHE NOW HAS A MUCH LARGER STAFF THAN SHE HAD EARLIER SO SHE'S GOT PLENTY OF PEOPLE TO HELP WITH THIS.

AND I THINK AS THE LEAGUE GOES ALONG, THEY'LL CONTINUE TO EXPAND THOSE STAFFS.

SHE'LL GET INTO MORE OF A STRICT, STRAIGHT-UP HOCKEY MANAGEMENT ROLL AND HAVE TO DO A LITTLE LESS OF THIS HOUSEKEEPING BUSINESS.

>> Cathy: AND THERE WILL BE A SECOND SEASON.

>> YES, ABSOLUTELY.

IN FACT, NEXT SEASON WILL BE EXPANDED FROM 24 GAMES REGULAR SEASON THIS YEAR, THEY WILL HAVE MORE REGULAR SEASON GAMES LAST YEAR.

TEAM EXPANSION IS STILL A WAYS OFF.

THEY DO WANT TO HAVE MORE THAN SIX TEAMS, THEY'RE NOT COMMITTING TO WHEN THEY WILL DO THAT BUT THE LEAGUE IS SAYING THEY DEFINITELY ARE LOOKING AT ADDING MORE CITIES.

>> Eric: AFTER TWO PERIODS, NO SCORE IN THE GAME WE'RE WATCHING.

>> ALL RIGHT, TH