Season seven of Anastasia’s long-running passion project kicks off with Hilary Knight, captain of the US national hockey team, world and olympic champion, the face of the American women’s game, and from a Canadian perspective, public frenemy number one. Knight dekes around all the old Can-Am rivalries talk and focusses instead on the game-changing debut of the Professional Women’s Hockey League. She was instrumental in the process that finally landed a truly professional environment for the best of the best in women’s hockey. The on-ice action deserves all the attention, but behind the scenes, Knight has plenty to say about the many elements that have been pulled together for the good of the game. Wages, health insurance (which is especially critical for the American players), proper facilities, home and away accommodations, training, fitness and medical staffing, it is a long and heartening list of wins for the PWHL player’s association. Excited as Knight is for the inaugural season, and confident as she is that her Boston team will be heading to the championship, it is the second year that she’s really looking forward to. The coming intake of new, young, top talent into the established league? That’s what it’s all about for the veteran leader. And just in case those subjects seem too wholesome to be entertaining, Anastasia also questions Knight on her well-earned reputation for pulling pranks. We’re not going to spoil the punchline, but most of her teammates have learned never to follow Knight into a bidet-equipped washroom. As the PHWPL inches closer to that historic first puck drop, there’s no better way to get a feel for the personalities who are driving the women’s game to greatness on this continent.