A new book shows women's pro hockey has come a long way

This is an excerpt from The Buzzer, which is CBC Sports' daily email newsletter. Stay up to speed on what's happening in sports by subscribing here.

It's never been a better time to be a women's hockey fan.

The PWHL appears to be on solid footing heading into its third season, with expansion teams in Vancouver and Seattle growing billionaire Los Angeles Dodgers owner Mark Walter's league to eight teams. And with the Winter Olympics coming up, we can look forward to another thrilling gold-medal clash between archrivals Canada and the United States this February in Italy.

As players prepare for a busy 2025-26 season that also includes a four-game Rivalry Series between the Canadians and Americans, my CBC Sports colleague Karissa Donkin has published an excellent new book about the PWHL. Breakaway: The PWHL and the Women Who Changed the Game chronicles the birth of the league and its inaugural 2024 season through the eyes of some key figures. Those range from superstar Marie-Philip Poulin to her Montreal coach Kori Cheverie to PWHL Players' Association leader Liz Knox, a former goalie who once worked a day job as a roofer while playing in the cash-strapped Canadian Women's Hockey League.

I recently sent Karissa some questions about the current state of the PWHL and women's hockey in general. Here are her thoughts:

Your book ends in September 2024 with the PWHL preparing for its second season. A year later, what would you say were the biggest changes in season two? Other than the new team nicknames, logos and uniforms.

I think a lot of the focus shifted to the actual hockey last season. We talked a lot in season one about so many milestones and big firsts. But as the league marked its first birthday, all of the chatter