Minnesota PWHL players ready to bring their dream home in front of record crowd

When Minnesota's newest hockey team arrived for Friday's practice at Xcel Energy Center, it was greeted by a sign near the locker rooms. Featuring the Professional Women's Hockey League logo, printed in the franchise's purple and white, it offered a simple yet powerful sentiment.

Welcome home.

"To see that, on our first day in this building, it's awesome," said defender Lee Stecklein. "To have that support is really special. This is where we want our game to be."

Saturday, Xcel will officially become home to a second pro hockey franchise. Minnesota's PWHL team will host Montreal in its home opener, in a landmark achievement for the women's game in the State of Hockey. More than 10,000 tickets have been sold for the game, the fifth of the PWHL's inaugural season and the first to be played in an NHL arena.

Team Minnesota started its season Wednesday with a 3-2 victory at Boston. Saturday, it is expected to set an attendance record for women's professional hockey, surpassing the 8,318 who saw Montreal win at Ottawa on Tuesday.

On the day before the home opener, team officials were releasing more tickets to meet demand. Coach Ken Klee was running his players through their first practice at Xcel. And the women of Team Minnesota overflowed with giddy anticipation, ready to showcase their game in the way they've always wanted.

"We've worked so hard for this moment," said forward Kendall Coyne Schofield, a three-time Olympic medalist who helped pave the way for the league's creation. "It's been a long time coming.

"It's a credit to the leagues that have come before us. To the players that have come before us. To the teams, the cities that have come before. They have allowed this opportunity to happen. It really is a dream come true."

The PWHL was formed last summer, with the vision of being the first women's hockey league to treat its players as true professionals. It's backed financially by Los Angeles Dodgers controlling owner Mark Walter and his wife, Kimbra, who are spending freely to provide its six teams with greater resources than previous leagues.

Players' salaries average $55,000, with some making upwards of $80,000. From equipment to staffing to meals, the PWHL is striving to create a major-league experience. Team Minnesota practices at Tria Rink, the Wild's practice facility, and is the only PWHL team to play the majority of its home games at an NHL arena.

General Manager Natalie Darwitz has assembled a roster heavy with home-state stars. Of its 27 players, 13 are Minnesota natives, and many played college hockey in the state. Former Gophers great Taylor Heise of Lake City was the top pick in the league's inaugural draft last September and scored the team's first goal in Wednesday's victory.

Another former Gophers star, Grace Zumwinkle of Excelsior, also scored Wednesday. She said Saturday's game will be especially meaningful for players with local ties, as they skate on NHL ice cheered on by their fellow Minnesotans.

"When we finally hit the ice in Boston, it was like, 'Oh, my gosh, this is actually happening,' " Zumwinkle said. "I think the bar is going to be set that much higher in front of our home crowd. We're super excited."

Glen Andresen, Team Minnesota's director of business operations, said officials originally expected about 5,000 fans for the opener. They sold tickets in a limited number of sections, but as sales surged, they expanded the seat map. By Friday morning, the lower bowl was full, and the club level was opened.

Based on Wednesday's game at Boston, fans can expect to see a fast, physical and action-packed game. Klee noted that all six teams have players from the U.S. and Canadian national teams, and that distribution of talent should make for a highly competitive league.

"Every game is going to be like a USA-Canada game," said Klee, former coach of the U.S. national team. "There's a lot of high skill, a lot of compete, a lot of playmakers and good skaters. It's great hockey."

Several Team Minnesota players said it will be a challenge to balance their emotions Saturday. Hockey is now their job, one they want to perform to the best of their ability.

Yet they also want to allow themselves to soak in the moment, as they make themselves at home in a new world for women's hockey.

"Young girls and young boys can come here and watch the Wild one night, and PWHL Minnesota the next night," Coyne Schofield said. "And both of them can have the same dream of being a professional hockey player. When we come out [Saturday], that's what's going to resonate with me."