What does the new PWHL mean for women's hockey? A guide for those who aren't fans — yet

Monday is shaping up to be a historic day in Canadian hockey with the first draft of the brand new Professional Women's Hockey League.

The league was formed over the summer with details announced Aug. 29. 

"We have never seen more excitement and demand for women's sports, and through the launch of this league, the top women's players in the world will have the opportunity to reach even greater heights," said Jayna Hefford, PWHL senior vice-president of hockey operations, at the time. 

Interest in the women's game is high.

Last year, 2.7 million people in Canada watched the the Olympic gold medal game in Beijing between the Canadian and U.S. women. And The Athletic reported that the game averaged 3.54 million viewers in the U.S., more than any NHL game televised in the U.S. in the 2021-22 season. 

So how did we get here? And what could this mean for professional women's teams going forward in terms of salaries, stability and coverage? 

Here's a quick primer to get you up to speed, even if you've never hit the ice.

The Professional Women's Hockey League was created over the summer, after the Premier Hockey Federation,  another professional league for women's hockey that started in 2015, was bought out in July. 

Things moved relatively quickly.

The new league was officially announced Aug. 29 after ratifying a collective bargaining agreement with the owners in early July. 

The league and its six teams are owned by Mark Walter, chair of the Los Angeles Dodgers and owner of the Mark Walter Group. Tennis legend Billie Jean King sits on the board. 

"To have the backing of people like that, that bring experience, that bring resources, that bring capital, that bring a commitment to doing it right at the ground level, that's a