Hey, let’s talk about the new professional women’s hockey league in Minnesota! The league just opened its training camps, and Minnesota is one of the six teams in the league. I had a chat with the head coach, Charlie Burggraf, about the future of women’s hockey in Minnesota. Here’s a casual and informal take on our conversation.
So, I asked Charlie about his hockey background, and he told me he grew up in northern Minnesota, where they have nine months of winter and three months of bad weather. He mentioned that for a hockey player, the bad weather was in the summer when the ice melted. He also shared that the town he grew up in, Roseau, was big on hockey, and they had a fierce rivalry with Warroad. Charlie played at North Dakota for four years and then went overseas to play before getting into coaching.
When I asked him about what’s happening at the training camp, he said they’re waiting for the players to arrive. The players have a lot of things to take care of like medical check-ups, media sessions, and getting their equipment sorted. They’ll hit the ice on Friday, and there’s a lot of orientation to do because most of the players are rookies. It’s a unique challenge for them because they’re starting from scratch, and they need to figure out the team’s identity.
Charlie mentioned some big names in the team, like Kendall Coyne, Kelly Pannek, and Lee Stecklein, who are all great players. He also talked about drafting 15 players and inviting others, but they need to narrow down the roster to 25 by the end of December. It’s exciting to see so many talented players coming together.
We also discussed the presence of Olympians in the league, and Charlie highlighted the diversity in the team with players from Finland, the Czech Republic, Canada, and of course, Minnesota. He mentioned that Minnesota has a strong hockey culture, and it’s reflected in the number of players from the state who are part of the professional league.
I asked Charlie about the challenges of building a new team, and he compared it to clearing a wooded area to level the field. He emphasized the importance of teamwork and how everyone is working together to create a great environment for the players.
We touched on the topic of player safety, especially after the tragic death of Adam Johnson. Charlie expressed his thoughts and prayers for the family and friends of Adam. He also mentioned the likelihood of requiring neck guards for players, especially at the lower levels, to enhance safety.
Finally, I asked him about the team name, and he said it’s beyond his pay grade. He mentioned that there’s a lot of talk about it, and they’re patiently waiting to see what happens.
Overall, it was a great chat with Charlie, and it’s clear that there’s a lot of excitement and hard work going into building this new team. The future of women’s hockey in Minnesota looks promising, and I can’t wait to see the team in action!