They don't have a nickname yet, or a logo. Their uniforms — purple, black and white, with MINNESOTA stitched on the jersey — are basic placeholders, made just for the first season of the new Professional Women's Hockey League.
The six-team league still has loads of details to announce, including a schedule, game venues and start date. This week, Minnesota's team was concentrating on the things it did have. It began training camp Wednesday at Tria Rink, the training facility for its inaugural season, with 28 players eager to launch the most well-funded pro league in women's hockey history.
General Manager Natalie Darwitz has signed seven players to a roster that will top out at 23, plus two reserves. She and head coach Charlie Burggraf are approaching things with open minds, allowing players to earn their way onto the team during the 3 ½ weeks before rosters must be finalized.
The PWHL expects to begin play around Jan. 1, with teams in Minnesota, Boston, New York, Toronto, Montreal and Ottawa playing 24-game schedules. Wednesday, Darwitz was still unpacking boxes at Tria in the midst of the league's four-month rush from its unveiling to its first games.
"Our staff has just been in a whirlwind the last month, but we wouldn't have it any other way," she said. "I don't know if I've slept a full night in a month, with so many things going on.
"Was it an elaborate timeline for us to get this league together? Maybe. But we welcome the sprint."
The PWHL launched June 30. In a news conference earlier this week, league officials said it would have been prudent to wait a year before beginning play, to give themselves time to get everything nailed down.
Board member Stan Kasten said they wanted to forge ahead quickly for the players' sake. While there are no dates set for announcements, he said the schedule is "98% done." Each team probably will play two games per week, with one on a weekend.