We waited until the interviewer finished with Griz before we approached her.
“Pashma?”
A luminous Indian woman who I recognized as the core sports anchor for Channel 9 News, turned and beamed at Jax. “You weren’t just yanking my chain about giving me an exclusive, were you, Stonewall?”
“Nope.” Jax turned, silently urging me to walk forward. “Pash, this is Gabriella Welk. She’s part of the Western Conference team for tonight’s Hockey Legends exhibition game.”
I offered her my hand. “Pleased to meet you. I loved the piece you did on the growing popularity of girls’ cricket.”
That surprised her. “Thank you. I’m sorry to admit that I don’t know a thing about you.”
The man behind her leaned over her shoulder and read my entire, full-length bio from his phone. Out loud.
“Now I have a basis for this interview.” She cocked her head, allowing a quick perusal of me. “You are interview ready, so have a seat.”
Two high-backed stools faced each other in front of a white screen, with lights and other equipment overhead and an enormous camera in front.
Pashma handed me a microphone. “We can edit this, so no worries if you get stuck. That said, it’s usually best to get it in one take.”
“Understood.”
“Talk to me, not to the camera. We’re in our own bubble, just having a friendly conversation.”
I nodded.
She perched on the edge of her chair, keeping her right foot on the floor and hooking the heel of her left shoe on the chair rung. Neat trick. That positioning gave her great posture and kept her clothes from bunching up. I’d have to remember that if I got an on-air position.
The stealthy assistant handed Pashma an index card and she scrutinized it before glancing up at the cameraman.
“Ready, Pash?”
“Ready.” She smiled. “I’m at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul with an exclusive on tonight’s pregame entertainment before the Wild take the ice. With me is my very special guest, Gabriella Welk. If that name sounds familiar to you, it should. Gabi is an icon in the world of women’s ice hockey, having won two silver medals with the U.S. Olympic Women’s Ice Hockey Team, two Four Nations Cups and three World Cups with the U.S. Women’s National Team. She was also the first woman to be named assistant coach for a men’s college hockey program. Tonight, she’s making history again by playing in an NHL-sanctioned exhibition hockey game as a member of the Western Conference team. So welcome, Gabi, I’m thrilled to get to share this good news about your participation in this event.”
Look at her, don’t look at the camera. “Thank you, Pashma. I’m beyond excited to be here.”
“What is the most exciting aspect of playing in tonight’s game?”
“It’s the opportunity to compete against, and partner with, some of the best male hockey players in the league. To be seen and treated as an equal.”
“You’ve won international championships. You’ve played in both the National Women’s Hockey League and the Canadian National Hockey League. You’ve coached on the college level. You even coached your younger sister Dani into a spot on the 2018 U.S. Olympic Women’s Ice Hockey Team. Coming on the heels of their gold medal win, what do you see as the future of women’s hockey?”
“Historically, more girls get interested in hockey after a major event like the Olympics. What I’d like to see is more women who grew up playing the game reactivating their interest and participation in it. The only way there will ever be any female coaches in the NHL is if hockey players and fans see women in all roles in the hockey world. Then they’ll also realize that gender isn’t as important as skill and passion for the game. We’re still waiting for a female referee in the NHL and I can only hope team owners will give women a chance to prove themselves as coaches as well.”
“Agreed one hundred percent. So back to tonight’s game . . . you’ve never played together until today’s practice. How does the Western Conference team’s talent stack up against your opponent’s?”
“To be honest, the only player I know for the Eastern Conference is the team captain because Jax told us at practice. I have no idea who else we’re facing on the ice, but regardless, I’m confident that we’ll come out on top.”
“Score prediction?”
“Two-one, Western Conference.”
“Okay, you heard it here first, folks. Last question. Who do you consider the most influential female athlete in history and why?”