The AP goes behind the scenes at PWHL opener to capture 'the birth of women's hockey'

TORONTO — An hour before one of the most significant faceoffs in the history of women's hockey, New York players were roused by a commotion at the entrance of their dressing room.

Enter Billie Jean King.

“I just wanted to say, hi,” the former tennis star and gender equality champion said, before apologizing for interrupting.

Wearing a purple blazer, the color adopted by the Professional Women’s Hockey League which King helped launch, she proceeded to congratulate players for achieving their dream, and reflected on similar pivotal moments in women’s sports.

“Today, I think, is really the birth of women’s hockey. This is the moment,” King said. “It’s special. Thank you for playing. Thank you so much.”

King made a similar stop in the Toronto room, where she announced the team’s starting lineup ahead of the six-team PWHL’s opening game Monday.

It was a moment generations in the making after previous leagues failed because of funding, vision and infrastructure issues. This solution began coming together six months earlier, when Los Angeles Dodgers owner Mark Walter — King is also a Dodgers minority owner — committed hundreds of millions of dollars to establish a league featuring an eight-year business plan.

Toronto captain Blayre Turnbull couldn’t picture anyone better than King addressing her team.

“I think it was the moment where we all kind of said, `Wow. It’s happening. We’re here,'” Turnbull said.

For New York’s Abby Roque, the first Native American female hockey player to represent the U.S. at the Olympics, it was hard not to interrupt King.

“She was thanking us,” Roque said. “And I was like, ‘No, thank you for everything,’ because she has done so much for women’s sports, women’s hockey and this league.”

The PWHL — a player-driven vision sparked in 2019 after the Canadian Women's Hockey League collapsed — has brought together the majority of the world's top players for a 72-game schedule and playoffs running through May.

The concept was brought to life after a partnership with King and Walter, who eliminated the competition in June by buying out the Premier Hockey Federation, previously known as the National Women’s Hockey League. The NWHL was established in 2015 and was North America's first women's hockey league to pay players a salary, but the league had trouble meeting what some players deemed to be professional standards.

Three hours before faceoff Monday, Professional Women’s Hockey Players’ Association executive director Brian Burke reflected on the significance of the game being played at the renovated site of Maple Leaf Gardens, once home of the NHL's Maple Leafs and CWHL's Furies. The former NHL executive recalled attending a Furies game where 86 tickets were sold at a time when the arena seated around 16,000.

Now, Toronto has already sold out all 12 of its home games at the retrofitted 2,500-seat Mattamy Athletic Centre.

Teresa Talotta paid a scalper $200 for a ticket valued at $85. One reason to be there was her daughter playing a youth scrimmage during the intermission, and the PWHL limiting one ticket per parent. Another reason was supporting women’s hockey.

“It’s history. I’ve been waiting for it,” Talotta said.

Fans lined Carlton Street when the doors opened. And many missed portions of the game waiting in long lines to buy merchandise.

The demand was so high, league executive Royce Cohen said, Toronto nearly sold out its entire stock, which was projected to be a month’s supply. Royce spoke from Ottawa on Tuesday, where the PWHL’s second game attracted 8,318, an attendance record for a women’s pro hockey game.

Minnesota is expected to sell out the lower bowl for its opener at the NHL Wild's home arena. Montreal has nearly sold out each game at its 4,000-plus-seat facility. New York, which is playing out of Bridgeport, Connecticut, and Boston, playing in Lowell, Massachusetts, are two teams lagging in ticket sales.

Toronto’s home rink might already be too small, but cost is an issue. The city’s next larger hockey venue — Coca Cola Coliseum, home to an AHL team — rents out at $130,000 (Canadian) per event.

“I hope there are a raft of stories all season talking about our league needing bigger buildings,” PWHL board member Stan Kasten said. “We do have markets that are weaker, that’ll take a little longer. But the product is what is going to make this a success.”

The PHWL is counting on its stars — Americans Hilary Knight and Kendall Coyne Schofield, and Canadians Marie-Philip Poulin and Sarah Nurse — to drive attention as they’ve done every four years at the Winter Games. And there’s hope for new stars to emerge.

On Monday, former PHF goalie Corinne Schroeder stole the show with 29 saves in New York’s 4-0 win. Schroeder, who failed in three invites to make the Canadian national team, outdueled Canadian Olympian Kristen Campbell, who stopped 24 shots.

The outcome was secondary to Rachel Dobson and her 7-year-old daughter, Charlotte. Despite living more than hour drive from Toronto, Dobson bought two season tickets after Charlotte once wondered why she couldn't watch women play hockey on TV.

“I wanted to show her she can reach for the stars,” Dobson said. “She can do anything.”

Hockey Hall of Famer and PWHL executive Jayna Hefford recalled growing up idolizing Wayne Gretzky, and getting a chance to see him play in a Canada Cup game at Maple Leaf Gardens.

“The special part to this is to be able to do it in this building, and the history that exists here,” Hefford said. “And we get to make our own now.”

Hours after the win, New York general manager Pascal Daoust tried to put the dizzying day into perspective. Daoust was excited with winning, unhappy with how New York was dominated in the second period and giddy over being in the presence of King.

Referring to a text he received congratulating him for being the PWHL’s first GM to win a game, he called the outcome as being bigger than one person.

“All of women’s sports won,” Daoust said.