I’ve talked a lot about the Minnesota Wild the last two months but there’s another hockey team in Minnesota that could use some recognition. Were you aware we have a professional women’s hockey team here in Minnesota? They’re called the Minnesota Whitecaps and they’ve won championships unbeknownst to many around the state.

Growing up I always wanted to be a professional hockey player in the National Hockey League, it didn’t matter there weren’t any girls playing regularly in that league, I wanted to play. What I didn’t realize was in 2004, when I was 12, the Whitecaps became a team and started to form their own path professionally.

They started out as a way for women to continue playing hockey once finished with college because there was nothing professional at the time. The team bounced around from league to league before finally settling in with the current National Women’s Hockey League back in 2018, they also went on to win the Championship in just their first year with the league.

It’s hard to measure their success when they’ve jumped from league to league, they even spent some time independent. However, they have won two Championships in two different leagues. One in 2010, the Clarkson Cup during their time with the Canadian Women’s Hockey League which later folded. Then most recently the Isobel Cup in 2019 with the current NWHL.

This season was quite unorthodox as most other sports this past year. The NWHL held its own bubble season somewhat like the NHL did for the playoffs last season. For two weeks they played against each other which ended with seeding the teams and then playing for the Cup.

Unfortunately, they didn’t get to finish the season out. Two days before it was supposed to end, the league ended up suspending the rest of the games due to COVID-19 issues. They did not name a winner and it is unsure when next season will start.

The Whitecaps were set to play in the semifinals but didn’t get the chance to finish it out. The season prior, the NWHL was able to play all the way through a mostly regular season until they got to the last game of the finals. That game was cancelled and sadly enough the Whitecaps were one of the teams that was supposed to play for the Cup and defend their title.

The season prior to that, 2018-19 the NWHL was able to hold an entire season and the Whitecaps went on to win the whole thing. Their first ever Isobel Cup Championship and they won it with a record of 12-4. In 2017-18 the Whitecaps were not part of the league just yet but they did get to host the NWHL All-Star game at TRIA rink in St. Paul Minnesota.

I have yet to go to a Whitecaps game but I was able to attend the All-Star game and it was awesome. Getting to see all those women players playing professionally and doing it well, was something I hope to see again. My fiancé came with me as well, he’s not a hockey fan but even he enjoyed it and thought it was fun as well as entertaining.

They also held a skills competition similar to what the NHL does, they even had the goalies go against each other to see who was the fastest skater. It was an event filled with highly talented skaters and fans that were having an absolute blast. Being able to see the women’s game grow like it has is a dream come true for myself even if I’m not able to join them on the ice.

The Wild have had a part in all of this as well, the TRIA rink that the Whitecaps call home was built as the Wild’s new training facility but also for the Whitecaps to have their own rink to call theirs. The Wild also lend financial support as well as holding joint events to try and get more involvement with women’s hockey and grow the game even further. Hopefully they can get back to having a full regular season soon and continue the growth of the game even more. I can’t wait to attend a regular season game and wouldn’t mind attending another All-Star event as well.