This article is both my introduction to SoundOfHockey.com and an introduction to PWHL Seattle to the uninitiated fan. But also, I wanted this article to be a metaphorical lighting of the beacons to call you to my cause. Professional women’s hockey is coming to Seattle, and you should be a fan.

Here are six reasons why you should care about the PWHL coming to Seattle this season.

1. Rule changes make the game (even more) fun

The PWHL has implemented some rule changes that many NHL fans find appealing. In my opinion, the changes work. Games are quicker paced, there is a ton of scoring (over five goals scored per game), and it gives the game a slightly different look for both veteran fans and newbies alike. Some new fans may not know, but the women’s game has oft pioneered rule changes that end up getting adopted by the rest of hockey.

Here are a few of the differences in the PWHL from the hockey that you may have been watching:

• Standings point system:
  • 3 points – Regulation Win
  • 2 points – OT or Shootout Win
  • 1 point – OT or Shootout Loss
  • 0 points – Regulation Loss
• Playoffs: The top four teams of the regular season make it to the postseason. High seeds get to choose their opponent in the first round, which makes for some exciting upsets and motivated underdogs.
• No tanking: There are also rules in place to stop teams from tanking for higher draft picks. Once a team is eliminated from playoff contention, they begin earning “Draft Order Points” to determine how high they will pick. That way, they aren’t incentivized to lose games late in the season.
• Jailbreak goal: Players on minor penalties are released from the box if their team scores short-handed.

2. A chance to support out queer, trans, and gender-nonconforming athletes

I probably don’t have to tell you that women’s sports are at the center of a giant culture war. Queer athletes, trans athletes, and even straight, cisgender, women who do not fit society’s expectations of what a female athlete should look like are being pressured out of sports at every level.

One of PWHL Seattle’s acquisitions, goaltender Carly (CJ) Jackson is non-binary and uses they and she pronouns. “Hockey has been a place where pretty consistently I’ve felt most like myself,” Jackson said in this Toronto Star article. Now’s the time for you to root for a team and a league that has chosen the path of inclusion over exclusion and hate.

3. You like physicality? We’ve got physicality… You like personality? We’ve got personality

Physicality and personality both presented beautifully in this mic’d-up segment with new PWHL Seattle forward, Lexie Adzija, in which she can be seen looking for her mama, hyping the skill of teammate Hilary Knight, leveling opponents, and just hoping “both teams have fun.”

4. The PWHL Seattle roster is legitimately stacked

Seattle could be very good in its inaugural season. First and foremost, we have Captain America, A.K.A. Hilary Knight, who, by many metrics, is the best… period. She certainly is the GOAT of the IIHF World Championship, where she has won 14 medals. That’s more than anyone. Ever. Man or woman. I feel I shouldn’t have to say more, but I will.

Meanwhile, if you’re looking for a skilled player who maybe hasn’t had the chance she deserved (a comeback queen, if you will), give Alex Carpenter a try.

Interested in young talent? Hannah Bilka and Cayla Barnes would like a word.

A goalie trio of lovable weirdos? We got it!

The team even has two players from Minnesota! For those interested in the #Minnutiae.

Because the PWHL is a much smaller league than the NHL, teams have incredible depth in skill. And because the players haven’t been media trained since they were 16 years old like many male pros who rose through junior hockey ranks, they let their personalities show.

I wish I could tell you now about everyone’s weird superstitions, hockey histories, and our new goalie’s life growing up on an egg farm in a town with a population of 339, but there isn’t time in this article.

Have no fear, though. In the coming weeks and months, I endeavor to profile the staff and athletes who will make up our team, so you can figure out who you want to watch closely going into the inaugural season. PWHL Seattle can and will be competitive right away.

5. The community is brand new, and there is a low barrier to entry

You can be a part of building something new, positive, and great here in Seattle. Women’s sports are having their moment in America and the world at large. If you are a Kraken fan, maybe you know a thing or two about being a fan of a team from Day 1 and the excitement and community that builds organically around the team.

If you are new to sports, great! This is a brand-new team, so you can learn along with a bunch of other new fans.

If you are new to Seattle, great! Sports fandom is an excellent way to meet people and be more involved in the community.

Women’s sports fans form a small, tightly knit, and supportive group. At the PWHL Takeover game last year, I received a friendship bracelet made by a complete stranger who made a ton of them and was giving them out purely for the love of the game, bringing joy to fellow fans.

You can have a hand in how PWHL Seattle establishes itself. You can, and will, make friends, dress in wacky outfits, and make fun signs.

Plus, all games are FREE to watch on YouTube. Incredible.

6. Growing the game is important… Be a part of showing that hockey is for everyone

Look, I know Seattle sports culture. I have lived my entire life in Seattle. I have seen how this city can embrace expansion teams like the Sounders, Kraken, and Reign. I also know that there are so many other cool things to spend your time and money on as a Seattle sports fan (the Mariners are good this season?????!!!!!!).

To make things a little personal, growing up as a girl who was also a jock in Seattle in the ’90s wasn’t always easy. I wanted to be physical, play a game that pushed the boundaries. Heck, I was pissed when I discovered the boy’s lacrosse team got to whap each other with sticks, and I was forced to run around in a skirt and goggles. I didn’t see where my future possibly could be because there were no role models. Being a woman and being strong, competitive, and physical didn’t exist into adulthood, and it certainly wasn’t a career option. But enjoy your youth wrestling and playing water polo, kid. I can’t turn back the clock for me, but let’s lift up this team and these athletes for the kids who now have a chance to see what their full potential could be.

These six reasons are why, dear reader, it is crucial that you join me in my fandom. Knowing the audience at Sound Of Hockey, many of you are on board and have been since the beginning, and we are already making big waves. We had thousands of people sign up to be on the waiting list for season tickets. Every hockey fan I know who is a woman, queer, or has a daughter is already all in on PWHL Seattle. But we need you too! We need everyone to turn the tide and make this community a success. So, get excited about stupid name speculation, get to know the athletes, go watch a practice. It’s fun, it’s revolutionary, and hey, you might even enjoy yourself.