Yes, I'm a woman, and yes, I finally get paid to play professional hockey

Okay, not me personally! See earlier post regarding constant sprained ankles whenever I tried to ice skate. But this year something amazing happened...the NWHL. It's the first professional women's hockey league, and the players actually get paid. Granted it's not a huge salary like most of their male counterparts, but it's a start. And hopefully, as the NWHL's popularity grows with fans, these amazing athletes will make a living wage, instead of having to hold a day job, while training, traveling with their teams, and kicking hockey butt!

Until 2015 the only women's professional hockey league was based in Canada and the players weren't paid. What did these former female Olympians and college players do after the Olympics ended or they graduated from college? Why couldn't they continue their athletic dreams and make careers playing a game they excelled at? Hopefully the NWHL is the answer.

They currently have four teams, the Boston Pride, New York Riveters, Connecticut Whalers, and Buffalo Beauts. This past November, I attended the home opener for the Boston Pride, as they took on the Riveters at Harvard. The rosters are a mix of former Olympians and college stars.

There are no fights in this league, or checking, and the game is faster. And, it's amazing to see a goalie that can't recline back on the top crossbar like Tuukka Rask. There's so much more net to cover when your body doesn't fill the entire net space like so many male goalies in the NHL, which should result in higher scoring games.

The game was fascinating to watch and the arena was decently full of fans. At only $20 per ticket, it's very inexpensive to attend, so if you're in the area of one of these teams, make sure to go catch a game or two. They play through April, so you have plenty of time to get out there and support this new league.