WEBVTT - Ribs and Puck with Hailey Salvian 0:00:00.600 --> 0:00:02.680 Welcome to a good Game with Sarah Spain, where we're 0:00:02.720 --> 0:00:06.160 calculating overnight shipping costs on a freezer with an ice 0:00:06.200 --> 0:00:10.680 packed ACL. I don't need mind, Juju, I'm washed. Take 0:00:10.720 --> 0:00:14.400 it please. It's Wednesday, March twenty sixth. Then on today's show, 0:00:14.400 --> 0:00:16.360 we'll be talking to Hailey Salvia and a hockey writer 0:00:16.400 --> 0:00:18.279 for The Athletic and a co host of the Athletic 0:00:18.320 --> 0:00:21.200 Hockey Podcast, about why it's still anyone's game as the 0:00:21.200 --> 0:00:24.800 PWHL nears the postseason, the secret behind Marie Filipulen and 0:00:24.880 --> 0:00:29.080 Hillary Knight's successes, and her early predictions for expansion. Plus 0:00:29.080 --> 0:00:31.159 we'll get into that Juju injury. We'll talk about the 0:00:31.160 --> 0:00:33.639 rest of the women's hoop Sweet sixteen field, the US 0:00:33.680 --> 0:00:36.360 women's national team gears up for an Olympic gold medal 0:00:36.400 --> 0:00:40.640 game rematch and use slices and us some colorful language. 0:00:40.920 --> 0:00:56.840 It's all coming up right after this. Welcome back, y'all. 0:00:56.840 --> 0:01:01.160 Here's what you need to know today in college hoops. 0:01:01.160 --> 0:01:03.120 Will catch you up on the late games from Monday 0:01:03.200 --> 0:01:06.839 night and the biggest news by far, not just of Monday, 0:01:06.880 --> 0:01:11.759 but the tournament. USC's Juju Watkins, sophomore sensation and probable 0:01:11.800 --> 0:01:14.680 pick for Naismith Player of the Year suffered a knee 0:01:14.720 --> 0:01:16.959 injury with four forty three left to play in the 0:01:16.959 --> 0:01:20.080 first quarter of the Trojans matchup with number nine Mississippi State. 0:01:20.520 --> 0:01:23.640 Watkins was carried off the court taken for testing, and 0:01:23.680 --> 0:01:26.680 it's been reported that she tore her acl. She's out 0:01:26.720 --> 0:01:29.120 for the remainder of the tournament and will undergo surgery 0:01:29.160 --> 0:01:32.280 to repair it. It was so hard to watch her 0:01:32.400 --> 0:01:34.640 go down, and we're sending so much love to her 0:01:34.760 --> 0:01:37.399 and the rest of the Trojans team and community. This 0:01:37.520 --> 0:01:40.120 no doubt changes the entire vibe of the tournament this year, 0:01:40.319 --> 0:01:43.840 and we wish Juju a thorough recovery. After her injury. 0:01:43.920 --> 0:01:46.880 Number one USC gathered themselves and took care of business 0:01:46.920 --> 0:01:50.040 against Mississippi State, winning ninety six fifty nine to punch 0:01:50.040 --> 0:01:53.040 a ticket to the Sweet sixteen. Kiki Eriefen led the 0:01:53.040 --> 0:01:56.200 Trojans with a dominant thirty six points, the most ever 0:01:56.280 --> 0:01:59.440 by a USC player in NCAA tournament game, and added 0:01:59.520 --> 0:02:02.240 nine rebus and two assists as well. Us He moves 0:02:02.240 --> 0:02:04.520 on to Phase number five Kansas State in the Sweet 0:02:04.520 --> 0:02:08.120 sixteen up in Connecticut. Number two Yukon beat number ten 0:02:08.200 --> 0:02:11.600 South Dakota State ninety one fifty seven in Paige Becker's 0:02:11.680 --> 0:02:15.079 last home game at Yukon. The fifth year senior dropped 0:02:15.080 --> 0:02:17.880 a blistering thirty four points in just twenty nine minutes 0:02:17.880 --> 0:02:21.480 a game action, tying her career high for points. Almost 0:02:21.520 --> 0:02:24.679 more impressive. In the postgame press conference, Beckers had head 0:02:24.680 --> 0:02:27.800 coach Gino Orimo holding back tears as she got up 0:02:27.840 --> 0:02:30.360 to leave. Gino joked with us on our show, telling 0:02:30.400 --> 0:02:32.600 us she never listens to him, but it's so obvious 0:02:32.639 --> 0:02:34.480 he knows what a special kid she is. It was 0:02:34.520 --> 0:02:36.640 a really sweet moment watching him try to hold back 0:02:36.680 --> 0:02:39.200 those tears. We'll link to the video in our show notes. Also, 0:02:39.240 --> 0:02:41.400 while this might have been Becker's last home game in 0:02:41.400 --> 0:02:45.200 a Yukon jersey, it wasn't azy fuds. The senior told 0:02:45.240 --> 0:02:47.360 Friend of the show Alexa Philip Who and ESPN on 0:02:47.400 --> 0:02:50.280 Tuesday that she will return to college next season and 0:02:50.320 --> 0:02:53.519 for go entering the twenty twenty five WNBA draft. The 0:02:53.600 --> 0:02:56.200 Huskies move on to play number three Oklahoma in the 0:02:56.200 --> 0:02:59.239 Sweet sixteen, and number three North Carolina picked up a 0:02:59.240 --> 0:03:01.160 fifty eight to forty sive and dub against number six 0:03:01.240 --> 0:03:04.040 West Virginia. Behind twenty one points from their fifth year 0:03:04.080 --> 0:03:06.720 senior alyssa Ustby, the tar Heels now advanced to the 0:03:06.720 --> 0:03:09.119 Sweet sixteen for the first time since twenty twenty two, 0:03:09.320 --> 0:03:12.000 and they'll face acc rival Duke for the first time 0:03:12.120 --> 0:03:15.240 ever in the NCAA tournament. Those teams saw each other 0:03:15.280 --> 0:03:17.480 twice during the regular season, each winning a game on 0:03:17.520 --> 0:03:21.160 their home court. UNC versus Duke. No matter the sport, 0:03:21.520 --> 0:03:23.200 you know you want to have your popcorn ready for 0:03:23.240 --> 0:03:25.840 that one. We'll post a link to the full schedule 0:03:25.880 --> 0:03:28.680 for the Sweet sixteen matchups in our show notes in 0:03:28.720 --> 0:03:32.320 Pro Soccer News, The NWSL, Orlando Pride, GOTHAMFC, and the 0:03:32.400 --> 0:03:36.440 league's players Association all released statements on Monday condemning the 0:03:36.520 --> 0:03:39.720 use of hateful language toward Pride forward Barbara Banda during 0:03:39.760 --> 0:03:44.040 Sunday's match at Gotham's Sports Illustrated Stadium. Per the NWSL's statement, 0:03:44.280 --> 0:03:47.160 the league and Gotham FC are working together to investigate 0:03:47.200 --> 0:03:50.080 the incident and dole out consequences as defined through the 0:03:50.200 --> 0:03:54.000 NWSL's Fan Code of Conduct. Per Gotham's statement, stadium security 0:03:54.040 --> 0:03:57.320 directly addressed the individual responsible for the language and monitored 0:03:57.320 --> 0:03:59.720 the situation for the rest of the match. Also, club 0:03:59.800 --> 0:04:01.960 leader reached out to the Orlando Pride on Monday to 0:04:02.000 --> 0:04:05.320 apologize for the incident and reiterate its support of Banda. 0:04:05.760 --> 0:04:08.640 This isn't the first time that Banda, a cisgender woman, 0:04:09.040 --> 0:04:12.240 has been on the receiving end of abusive comments. In November, 0:04:12.280 --> 0:04:15.120 after helping Orlando win the NWSL title and being named 0:04:15.120 --> 0:04:18.240 World Footballer of the Year by the BBC, she received 0:04:18.320 --> 0:04:22.560 transphobic attacks from author JK. Rowling, among others. The league 0:04:22.600 --> 0:04:24.520 didn't issue a statement at that time, and in an 0:04:24.560 --> 0:04:27.800 interview with NPR's All Things Considered earlier this month, Commissioner 0:04:27.920 --> 0:04:29.960 Jessica Berman said the league learned from that and is 0:04:30.000 --> 0:04:33.120 committed to doing more to support Banda and other players 0:04:33.120 --> 0:04:36.480 moving forward. In international soccer news, the US women's national 0:04:36.480 --> 0:04:38.920 team released its twenty four player roster for the team's 0:04:38.920 --> 0:04:43.120 two April Olympic final rematches against the Brazilian national team. 0:04:43.480 --> 0:04:46.560 Biggest takeaway from the roster, one third of Triple Espresso 0:04:46.839 --> 0:04:49.800 is back Trinity Rodman, back in the fold after missing 0:04:49.800 --> 0:04:52.880 the last four training camps resting injuries. She rejoins the 0:04:52.880 --> 0:04:54.920 squad for the first time since the Olympic gold medal 0:04:54.960 --> 0:04:57.800 game in August of twenty four. Also of note, Houston 0:04:57.880 --> 0:05:01.040 dash defender Avery Patterson has earned and her first senior 0:05:01.160 --> 0:05:03.720 US women's national team call up, and among the other 0:05:03.720 --> 0:05:07.279 players called into the team goalkeepers Jane Campbell, Mandy McGlenn, 0:05:07.320 --> 0:05:09.919 and Fallon Tullis Joyce, all vying to become Emma Hay's 0:05:09.960 --> 0:05:12.360 new go to after the national team retirement of Alyssinare. 0:05:12.560 --> 0:05:15.000 They'll be joined by one more keeper, training camp player, 0:05:15.040 --> 0:05:17.960 Angelina Anderson of angel City FC. The US women's national 0:05:17.960 --> 0:05:21.080 team faces Brazil on April fifth and eighth, just outside 0:05:21.080 --> 0:05:26.680 of Los Angeles and San Jose, California, respectively. We got 0:05:26.720 --> 0:05:28.520 to take a quick break. When we come back, we're 0:05:28.560 --> 0:05:38.440 dropping the puck with Haley Salvian joining us now. She's 0:05:38.440 --> 0:05:41.080 a staff writer for The Athletic covering women's hockey and 0:05:41.120 --> 0:05:43.000 the NHL, and she's one of the hosts of the 0:05:43.040 --> 0:05:46.400 Athletic Hockey Podcast. She has the cutest little pop bono, 0:05:46.560 --> 0:05:49.160 and she likes to eat ribs on the ice. She's 0:05:49.160 --> 0:05:53.120 a Canadian and frankly, we're jealous. It's Hailey Salvian. What's up? Haley? 0:05:53.520 --> 0:05:55.560 Why what happened. What do you mean just you know, 0:05:55.640 --> 0:05:58.280 we'll get to it. Thanks for having me. 0:05:58.640 --> 0:06:01.320 I first want you to explain what exactly is up 0:06:01.360 --> 0:06:03.920 with you and Julia Tosherry who was a co host 0:06:03.920 --> 0:06:05.479 of Jackson Jill who we had on the show, and 0:06:05.520 --> 0:06:08.760 the ribs. I was clearly creeping your instagram. There were 0:06:08.839 --> 0:06:10.760 lots of comments about ribs on the ice and now 0:06:10.760 --> 0:06:11.200 we need to know. 0:06:11.600 --> 0:06:13.600 Yeah, I'm so glad you brought this up. 0:06:13.680 --> 0:06:18.440 Because we were covering the PWHL playoffs. It was the 0:06:18.480 --> 0:06:21.960 first round Toronto versus Minnesota last year, and we go 0:06:22.080 --> 0:06:24.880 into the media room and there's usually a media meal. 0:06:24.920 --> 0:06:27.280 It's like five bucks, ten bucks, whatever you go when 0:06:27.279 --> 0:06:28.800 you get your food before the game, and it was 0:06:28.880 --> 0:06:33.120 barbecue ribs, and she and I both had this moment. 0:06:33.200 --> 0:06:36.719 It was me, Julia and Christina Rutherford does an amazing 0:06:36.800 --> 0:06:39.239 job at Sportsnet, and we all just kind of sat 0:06:39.279 --> 0:06:42.120 there bibs on, eating the ribs, and Julie and I 0:06:42.160 --> 0:06:45.880 had this moment of like, this is such a safe space, 0:06:46.000 --> 0:06:48.720 Like if this was in the Leafs media meal room, 0:06:48.839 --> 0:06:51.400 like if this was an NHL playoff game, Julie and 0:06:51.440 --> 0:06:53.120 I were like we would have walked in seen the 0:06:53.160 --> 0:06:55.480 barbecue ribs and like walked right out, like it's fine, 0:06:55.480 --> 0:06:57.800 I'll get the press box popcorn for dinner or something. 0:06:58.279 --> 0:07:00.760 But it was just like all women in there, bibs 0:07:00.839 --> 0:07:03.680 on barbecue sauce, everyone on a bone. I feel so 0:07:03.920 --> 0:07:06.560 safe eating these ribs right now that I don't even 0:07:06.640 --> 0:07:08.599 care that there's sauce all over my credential. 0:07:08.680 --> 0:07:09.000 It was. 0:07:09.600 --> 0:07:12.520 It was a real bonding moment for us girls on 0:07:12.560 --> 0:07:13.120 the screen. 0:07:13.920 --> 0:07:16.680 I am just brief aside. I think we've all been here. 0:07:17.120 --> 0:07:19.680 I went to a restaurant by myself in Miami when 0:07:19.720 --> 0:07:21.600 I was there for a work trip, and I ordered 0:07:21.720 --> 0:07:24.480 this side of corn that I expected to be like 0:07:24.560 --> 0:07:29.160 a low tast style off the cob, and instead it 0:07:29.280 --> 0:07:31.880 was like just a full cob. And I sat there 0:07:31.920 --> 0:07:34.200 at a bar across from like a bunch of people 0:07:34.360 --> 0:07:37.000 at a pretty prime like six thirty ish happy hour 0:07:37.120 --> 0:07:40.360 happening spot, just like gnawing on this corn cob alone, 0:07:40.960 --> 0:07:43.760 thinking like, there's got to be a better way this 0:07:43.840 --> 0:07:44.080 is not. 0:07:45.480 --> 0:07:46.440 Was it good at least? 0:07:47.080 --> 0:07:49.480 Oh? I mean it was delicious. Great? Who cares? Then 0:07:49.560 --> 0:07:50.480 you got this? Yeah? 0:07:50.480 --> 0:07:52.800 True, I'm so used to eating alone on the road. 0:07:52.840 --> 0:07:55.040 It's it's fine, everything's fine. 0:07:54.880 --> 0:07:57.400 Yeah, it's it's corn is a weird one. Eating a 0:07:57.440 --> 0:07:59.640 banana like you have to break it off in your hands. 0:07:59.640 --> 0:08:02.760 You can't just deep throat a banana in public. Certainly 0:08:02.800 --> 0:08:05.040 not Okay. So you're one of the few reporters that 0:08:05.080 --> 0:08:07.720 write about the PWHL. That's why we're having you here 0:08:07.800 --> 0:08:09.800 to impart all of your knowledge. What would you say 0:08:09.840 --> 0:08:12.280 is the biggest challenge of being sort of relatively alone 0:08:12.360 --> 0:08:12.840 on a beat. 0:08:13.440 --> 0:08:14.760 Ooh, that's a good question. 0:08:16.840 --> 0:08:19.320 I think one of the challenges that I have found 0:08:19.960 --> 0:08:23.880 covering this is that and now, like journalistic integrity and 0:08:23.920 --> 0:08:26.400 like making sure your sources are vetted and everything is 0:08:26.600 --> 0:08:29.240 very very important to me, regardless of if I was 0:08:29.280 --> 0:08:31.880 the only person or the tenth person, twentieth person. But 0:08:31.960 --> 0:08:35.400 there is this sense of like, if the athletic is 0:08:35.480 --> 0:08:38.040 chiming in on something, it's going to mean something. 0:08:38.720 --> 0:08:40.800 So you're almost like relishing in. 0:08:40.760 --> 0:08:44.800 The opportunity to drive conversation and push narratives that you 0:08:44.840 --> 0:08:47.679 think are important. But then there's also like a responsibility 0:08:47.679 --> 0:08:50.800 with that. So you have these moments of am I 0:08:50.880 --> 0:08:53.080 making something too big of a deal? Is this the 0:08:53.160 --> 0:08:56.000 right story to be doing? At the right time is 0:08:56.120 --> 0:08:59.680 how is this going to be perceived? So like the 0:08:59.760 --> 0:09:03.000 time of things and like the importance of posting things 0:09:03.040 --> 0:09:05.960 like that's not lost on me, yea, because I've heard 0:09:06.000 --> 0:09:08.800 that from folks of like if you're going to say 0:09:08.880 --> 0:09:10.559 and this is a thing for me, like I have 0:09:10.679 --> 0:09:15.440 the like I don't think of myself that way, Like 0:09:15.520 --> 0:09:17.640 this has just been something that I've been told is 0:09:17.679 --> 0:09:19.560 like if you're going to say it, or the athletics 0:09:19.600 --> 0:09:21.040 going to say it, it's going to matter in a 0:09:21.080 --> 0:09:23.040 different way. And that's like a weird thing for my 0:09:23.120 --> 0:09:26.440 own self esteem to hear. I'm just like, no, that's crazy. 0:09:26.480 --> 0:09:29.439 But that is something that I've had to internalize when 0:09:29.480 --> 0:09:31.880 we're trying to decide like what stories to do and 0:09:31.960 --> 0:09:35.080 how to approach certain things. And it's not so much 0:09:35.160 --> 0:09:37.240 like the sourcing because I would always want to get 0:09:37.280 --> 0:09:40.880 things correct, but there is like almost a responsibility there 0:09:40.880 --> 0:09:45.319 coming from like one of the bigger mainstream media companies 0:09:45.360 --> 0:09:46.480 weighing in on something. 0:09:47.080 --> 0:09:48.880 We've talked about this on the show in the past. 0:09:49.000 --> 0:09:52.880 It's not just are you following sort of journalistic principles 0:09:53.240 --> 0:09:56.760 in terms of asking questions, getting answers and reporting what 0:09:56.840 --> 0:09:59.200 was said, it's how does it operate within the larger 0:09:59.240 --> 0:10:01.480 context and new of the space in which you're working, 0:10:01.679 --> 0:10:03.360 and when you know that you're one of the few 0:10:03.600 --> 0:10:06.640 larger brands and outlets covering something and that what you 0:10:06.720 --> 0:10:09.400 do cover and present is going to have an outsized 0:10:09.440 --> 0:10:11.360 impact on how people see a league, or a player 0:10:11.440 --> 0:10:14.439 or a person Like it's important to think about that 0:10:14.600 --> 0:10:16.880 whether or not that's an extra added pressure for you, 0:10:17.360 --> 0:10:19.760 which it is, that's just sort of the reality of 0:10:19.760 --> 0:10:22.240 the situation right now. How do you balance being fair 0:10:22.400 --> 0:10:24.720 or even critical when it's necessary with a sort of 0:10:24.800 --> 0:10:28.040 understandable desire to help grow the league's fan base and viewers. 0:10:28.320 --> 0:10:30.560 You're covering something that you care about that you want 0:10:30.600 --> 0:10:32.760 more people to care about, both for your business and 0:10:32.800 --> 0:10:35.040 your job and getting paid, but also, you know, because 0:10:35.440 --> 0:10:37.200 you'd like to see it do well. How do you 0:10:37.400 --> 0:10:40.440 balance that desire with I also need to criticize things 0:10:40.480 --> 0:10:41.160 when they aren't right. 0:10:41.520 --> 0:10:43.320 One of the things that I think is so great, 0:10:43.840 --> 0:10:45.960 at least when we're talking about like from a player 0:10:46.000 --> 0:10:49.840 perspective or player performance, team performance. I've actually gotten feedback 0:10:49.880 --> 0:10:52.600 from like coaches, players, gms like if you think I 0:10:52.679 --> 0:10:55.000 made a mistake here, say it like we need to 0:10:55.040 --> 0:10:59.440 get past the point of just like being like everything's great, 0:11:00.040 --> 0:11:01.840 it's great, woohoo, we love this. 0:11:01.960 --> 0:11:03.240 Like I've had a conversation with. 0:11:03.200 --> 0:11:07.880 A GM after the draft which we had on CBC. 0:11:07.960 --> 0:11:10.839 I do some TV work on the panel for CBC. 0:11:10.480 --> 0:11:12.560 Sports, and they had said to me, like, if you 0:11:12.559 --> 0:11:14.560 think I made a bad pick in the second round, 0:11:14.760 --> 0:11:17.160 I want you to feel comfortable going on TV and 0:11:17.200 --> 0:11:20.400 saying GM X made a mistake here. Now, I want 0:11:20.400 --> 0:11:22.160 you to back it up. I want you to have 0:11:22.160 --> 0:11:24.040 a reason for that. I don't want you just saying 0:11:24.080 --> 0:11:27.360 like this GM stinks. Be smart with it. But if 0:11:27.440 --> 0:11:30.000 you feel I did something wrong, say it because we're 0:11:30.040 --> 0:11:31.760 not going to groan and we're not going to move 0:11:31.960 --> 0:11:35.040 forward in the ways we need if everyone's just saying 0:11:35.120 --> 0:11:38.120 like flowers and daisies and rainbows. And I think from 0:11:38.160 --> 0:11:41.960 the league building perspective, you know, being able to be 0:11:42.080 --> 0:11:44.640 like critical of what's happening in the league is going. 0:11:44.559 --> 0:11:46.120 To be a really important piece of this. 0:11:46.400 --> 0:11:50.280 Like it's you know, I always think of the NWSL 0:11:50.320 --> 0:11:52.720 as such a great example when you know, Meg Linihan 0:11:52.760 --> 0:11:56.040 and Katie Strang had their big explosive report on everything 0:11:56.040 --> 0:11:58.400 that was happening in the NWSL for years in terms 0:11:58.440 --> 0:12:04.160 of you know, just harassment and poor treatment of players 0:12:04.520 --> 0:12:07.240 was you know, for so long women's soccer and women's 0:12:07.240 --> 0:12:09.360 sport have felt like, well, we can't speak up because 0:12:09.360 --> 0:12:10.520 we don't want to hurt the league. 0:12:10.559 --> 0:12:11.960 We don't want to hurt the game. We're all trying 0:12:11.960 --> 0:12:12.480 to grow it. 0:12:13.200 --> 0:12:16.560 But I think everyone's kind of knows now that the 0:12:16.600 --> 0:12:18.680 way to grow the league is not to just be 0:12:18.880 --> 0:12:22.680 quiet on matters that need to be spoken on. So 0:12:22.960 --> 0:12:26.160 that's a thing for me, Like, when something big like 0:12:26.200 --> 0:12:28.599 that happens in the PWHL like that is going to 0:12:28.679 --> 0:12:31.640 be on me to and other media members to like 0:12:31.800 --> 0:12:36.200 accurately and fairly report on those instances, because the league's 0:12:36.240 --> 0:12:37.720 not going to grow and get great if we're just 0:12:37.760 --> 0:12:39.479 covering up any kind of misconduct. 0:12:39.480 --> 0:12:41.199 I think, well, I'm just curious because you know, the 0:12:41.280 --> 0:12:44.360 league's single owner format sort of might affect how teams 0:12:44.400 --> 0:12:46.720 or gms or coaches interact with the media. There isn't 0:12:46.720 --> 0:12:50.080 the same like rivalry with other clubs, and perhaps less 0:12:50.120 --> 0:12:53.000 willingness to comment or react to controversy with other clubs 0:12:53.080 --> 0:12:55.880 or stumbles by an opponent when you've all answered to 0:12:55.920 --> 0:12:58.839 the same ownership, and I think in nascent women's sports 0:12:58.880 --> 0:13:00.640 leagues there is more of a feel of a rising 0:13:00.640 --> 0:13:02.880 tide lifts all boats, let's all support each other, which 0:13:02.920 --> 0:13:05.280 is great. At the same time, do you find it 0:13:05.400 --> 0:13:09.800 hard to get honest appraisals about opponents for things other 0:13:09.880 --> 0:13:12.880 than what's on the ice because they're all beholden to 0:13:12.960 --> 0:13:13.640 the same boss. 0:13:13.960 --> 0:13:15.360 Yeah, certainly on the record. 0:13:16.040 --> 0:13:18.760 Like I'm sure there's like gms who have their whispers 0:13:18.800 --> 0:13:21.720 of things that they don't love or things that aren't happening. 0:13:21.800 --> 0:13:23.680 I will say the one thing I heard from like 0:13:23.760 --> 0:13:25.880 every team that I've been able to speak to, is 0:13:26.400 --> 0:13:28.320 that like when Push came to Shove last year, there 0:13:28.400 --> 0:13:30.400 was always a card on the table, like if issues 0:13:30.440 --> 0:13:32.800 popped up, like the owner was putting the money down 0:13:32.840 --> 0:13:34.840 to fix it or scale with it, which was so 0:13:34.960 --> 0:13:36.960 great to hear because that's always been the issue and 0:13:37.320 --> 0:13:41.000 women's like professional hockey is the resources and the pot 0:13:41.040 --> 0:13:43.960 of money just was kind of non existent relative to 0:13:44.000 --> 0:13:46.120 what we're seeing now. But I do think the single 0:13:46.240 --> 0:13:50.320 entity ownership model is really interesting and it's it's I'm 0:13:50.559 --> 0:13:53.520 curious to see how it's going to grow and change. 0:13:53.600 --> 0:13:56.400 If they move away from that, what kind of issues 0:13:56.440 --> 0:13:59.320 do start to crop up because we have things like 0:14:00.120 --> 0:14:03.040 gms making trades or signing players, drafting players. You know, 0:14:03.080 --> 0:14:05.760 the New York Sirens are last in the league. 0:14:05.880 --> 0:14:06.160 Again. 0:14:06.320 --> 0:14:08.120 They have two of the best players in the world 0:14:08.480 --> 0:14:10.439 on their roster, certainly one of the best and the 0:14:10.520 --> 0:14:13.240 number one pick in Sarah Fhilier, and their last in 0:14:13.280 --> 0:14:15.960 the league again. But when you have a single entity owner, 0:14:16.040 --> 0:14:19.000 like that's just going to be the owner deciding is 0:14:19.040 --> 0:14:20.880 that what's best for the league to let a GM 0:14:20.920 --> 0:14:22.640 go or let a coach go? Do we keep them 0:14:22.640 --> 0:14:25.640 in house? It's not the New York owner saying, oh, right, 0:14:25.680 --> 0:14:27.760 that's enough. We need to have in a different direction. 0:14:28.000 --> 0:14:30.160 So I think those are things that are going to 0:14:30.160 --> 0:14:33.920 be interesting in the long run, for sure. I think 0:14:34.000 --> 0:14:36.640 in the early days it's been good because of that 0:14:36.920 --> 0:14:39.840 single pot of money, like everyone just has the resources 0:14:39.880 --> 0:14:42.960 to get started. They didn't have any kind of bureaucracy 0:14:43.000 --> 0:14:44.880 with six different owners when they were trying to start 0:14:44.920 --> 0:14:47.200 a league in six months of owner saying well, no 0:14:47.280 --> 0:14:49.480 I want this or no I want that. That was 0:14:49.640 --> 0:14:53.560 almost required to get this league started as quickly as possible. 0:14:53.560 --> 0:14:56.400 But I think as the league grows and changes. That's 0:14:56.600 --> 0:14:58.640 one of the big things that I'll be tracking in 0:14:58.720 --> 0:15:01.920 the PWHL in the next phase is how that single 0:15:02.040 --> 0:15:06.440 entity ownership model kind of grows or changes and impacts things. 0:15:06.640 --> 0:15:08.000 I want to get to some of the teams, but 0:15:08.040 --> 0:15:09.840 I want to ask quickly what your take is on 0:15:09.920 --> 0:15:13.160 how the league in the media have handled a couple controversies. 0:15:13.200 --> 0:15:15.960 There was, you know, disruption in the front office of 0:15:16.040 --> 0:15:18.680 the Minnesota Frost right after they won, and I think 0:15:18.760 --> 0:15:21.360 maybe more importantly, we haven't heard a lot about Frost 0:15:21.360 --> 0:15:24.720 player Britta Curl's social media activity. Prior to being drafted. 0:15:24.760 --> 0:15:29.280 She issued an apology for liking anti transposts COVID nineteen 0:15:29.360 --> 0:15:32.800 vaccine conspiracy is a post sharing a not guilty verdict 0:15:32.800 --> 0:15:36.600 for Kyle Rittenhouse. We haven't really talked about it much 0:15:36.680 --> 0:15:39.640 since the apology. Do you think the league in the 0:15:39.680 --> 0:15:41.320 media have handled that situation? Well. 0:15:41.720 --> 0:15:44.200 I think this is one of the instances with Brita 0:15:44.280 --> 0:15:49.680 Curl where the league itself is in this space where 0:15:50.480 --> 0:15:54.960 they have obviously decided, like anyone can play in this league, right, 0:15:54.960 --> 0:15:57.440 they didn't take a hard line and say Brita Curl 0:15:57.520 --> 0:15:59.440 is not to be drafted because that's where the owner 0:15:59.480 --> 0:16:02.160 would come in and right, Whereas in different leagues, maybe 0:16:02.160 --> 0:16:04.680 you have an owner in one market saying nope, that 0:16:04.720 --> 0:16:07.520 doesn't jive with what we want, whereas this is a 0:16:07.560 --> 0:16:10.160 single entity owner. And obviously it was decided that she 0:16:10.360 --> 0:16:12.880 was eligible and a team did draft her, and I 0:16:12.880 --> 0:16:15.400 did speak to all teams. I didn't speak to all 0:16:15.440 --> 0:16:18.040 six general managers, but I did speak to all team sources, 0:16:18.120 --> 0:16:20.320 and it was my understanding she was not on any 0:16:20.320 --> 0:16:23.000 teams do not draft list, So Brita Cral was open 0:16:23.040 --> 0:16:25.760 and available to all these teams after that social media 0:16:25.760 --> 0:16:29.960 activity was posted after she had the apology, and you know, 0:16:30.040 --> 0:16:33.000 she's been allowed to play in the league, but she's 0:16:33.040 --> 0:16:37.120 also been booed in every market she's played in. I 0:16:37.160 --> 0:16:40.240 think there's almost been instances of fans watching her get 0:16:40.280 --> 0:16:43.920 like big hits from opponents, like there are people who 0:16:43.920 --> 0:16:46.720 are not fans of what Berta Crole like said, or 0:16:46.760 --> 0:16:49.320 what she liked on social media and some of the 0:16:49.320 --> 0:16:53.040 tweets that she did share herself. But this is something 0:16:53.080 --> 0:16:56.120 where the league, you know, they have to balance this 0:16:56.280 --> 0:17:00.000 like allowing everyone to play in the league with all 0:17:00.040 --> 0:17:04.480 also understanding that they have players and fans who are 0:17:04.560 --> 0:17:08.320 in staff members, who are part of the LGBTQ plus 0:17:08.359 --> 0:17:12.479 community like they have. They just announced last week there 0:17:12.480 --> 0:17:16.520 are pride celebrations. There are unity games across all six markets. 0:17:17.119 --> 0:17:19.560 The Minnesota Frost are going to have a Pride game, 0:17:19.640 --> 0:17:23.000 and how are Minnesota fans gonna respond to that? How 0:17:23.119 --> 0:17:25.600 is the away team, the Toronto Sceptors, if they have 0:17:25.720 --> 0:17:27.679 fans in the building, how are they going to respond 0:17:27.720 --> 0:17:29.399 to that? So do I think that. 0:17:30.080 --> 0:17:31.000 The league and media. 0:17:31.160 --> 0:17:33.600 It's it's interesting you asked this question because these are 0:17:33.640 --> 0:17:36.080 not even things that I've written about. So in that sense, 0:17:36.880 --> 0:17:40.159 like Britta Curl hasn't faced that much scrutiny from the 0:17:40.280 --> 0:17:43.639 league because she was drafted and there's birthday posts and 0:17:43.680 --> 0:17:46.480 she's on the league's marketing and media members like me 0:17:46.600 --> 0:17:50.800 haven't exactly jumped into this and said like, here's what's 0:17:50.800 --> 0:17:53.960 happening with Brita Curl. So it's just a different, a 0:17:54.040 --> 0:17:56.280 different world in women's hockey right now. 0:17:56.560 --> 0:17:58.639 Well, we're seeing it happen across different spaces, and I 0:17:58.640 --> 0:18:00.879 think it's indicative that it is not an easy answer, 0:18:01.200 --> 0:18:04.480 whether that's Hannah Hidalgo and basketball, whether that's Corbin Albert 0:18:04.520 --> 0:18:06.920 in soccer, whether that's Britta Curl in hockey. Like, when 0:18:06.960 --> 0:18:10.120 you have someone existing in a space that is beyond 0:18:10.200 --> 0:18:14.400 just sport and stands for inclusiveness and diversity and all 0:18:14.400 --> 0:18:16.200 these things that are such so at the root and 0:18:16.720 --> 0:18:19.400 center of women's sport, it makes it far more complicated 0:18:19.640 --> 0:18:21.160 than on the men's side. It's not an easy answer 0:18:21.200 --> 0:18:23.160 because you also, I would not agree with saying ban 0:18:23.280 --> 0:18:25.920 them from the league either. I don't think that that's 0:18:25.960 --> 0:18:28.760 I think that's a really slippery slope. We got to 0:18:28.800 --> 0:18:31.040 take a quick break when we come back more with 0:18:31.200 --> 0:18:43.879 Hailey Salvion. You know, I just moderated a panel with 0:18:43.920 --> 0:18:46.520 a couple of PWHL execs out at the Wiser Conference, 0:18:46.520 --> 0:18:48.240 and one of the things we talked about backstage as 0:18:48.240 --> 0:18:50.080 we were talking about promoting the league and the players 0:18:50.560 --> 0:18:55.040 was teams starting to form identities, finding authentic rivalries, establishing 0:18:55.080 --> 0:18:57.879 some tradition and culture. Obviously, just the second year of 0:18:57.880 --> 0:19:00.400 this very young league, so much of falling in love 0:19:00.480 --> 0:19:03.679 with a league and team and players is understanding and 0:19:03.760 --> 0:19:06.439 learning the lore. And there isn't much lore yet, but 0:19:06.520 --> 0:19:09.399 I'd love to hear if there's any team culture or 0:19:09.440 --> 0:19:12.359 tradition or style or attitude that has emerged in this 0:19:12.440 --> 0:19:14.679 second season that really stands out. Not every team, but 0:19:14.760 --> 0:19:17.120 like if there's something that you're like, this is what 0:19:17.160 --> 0:19:19.119 we expect when we go to this place and it's awesome. 0:19:19.440 --> 0:19:19.760 Yeah. 0:19:19.880 --> 0:19:23.000 Yeah, I would say one that does stand out is Minnesota. 0:19:23.160 --> 0:19:25.960