In a special Sunday long read for you, we took a look at the impact the NHWL's Buffalo Beauts have made on the local hockey scene. Here's a sample (and you can read the full feature here):
Chris Sykes can still recall the details of the first Buffalo Beauts game he attended with his daughter, Lucy.
He remembers it was the 2016-17 season opener, the second year of operation for the National Women's Hockey League. He knows all four of the league's teams were in town for opening weekend, and that Lucy even got to speak to a handful players while they awaited pregame warmups.
More than anything, he remembers the look on his daughter's face when the puck dropped.
"She kind of talked a little bit at first, and then she just went silent for four or five minutes," he said. "That's weird for Lucy. Finally, she just kind of looked up and said, 'They wear a ponytail like I do.' It was a really, really big deal for her."
The Beauts have attained various measures of success during their four seasons of operation.
On the ice, they boast a roster that includes former Olympians in Dani Cameranesi, Lisa Chesson, Emily Pfalzer, Nicole Hensley and Shannon Szabados, as well as the league's Most Valuable Player in Maddie Elia. They've made it to the Isobel Cup Final all four years, including a championship in 2016.
As the only NWHL team with private ownership, the Beauts have set the bar in terms of resources, operations and facilities in women's professional hockey.