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New women's North American hockey league launches / Photo: MARK BLINCH - GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP
New women's North American hockey league launches
Women's ice hockey kicked off the new year with the launch of a new professional league, which debuted Monday with the very first match between the Toronto and New York teams.
The Professional Women's Hockey League "rings in the New Year with the very first regular season game in league history," the PWHL said in a press release.
A total of six teams are listed in the league: Boston, Minnesota and New York on the American side, and Montreal, Ottawa and Toronto on the Canadian side.
The new league brings together the best female hockey players in North America, several of whom distinguished themselves on the ice during the Olympic Games.
Ice hockey is Canada's national winter sport, but remains largely dominated by men.
The National Hockey League (NHL), the men's equivalent, was founded in 1917 in Montreal and these days brings together 32 teams spread across the two countries.
The opening match of the PWHL was held in Toronto and ended with a 4-0 victory for the New York team.
The regular season includes more than 20 games and is due to continue until the beginning of May. It will then be followed by the playoffs.
C.Weber--BlnAP
