There's been a lot of talk over the body checking and contact in the early stages of the PWHL. It's how the players wanted their game to be.

Jincy Roese, Team USA veteran defender and star of Ottawa’s new professional women’s team, says she has always played the game physically, growing up in St. Louis playing hockey alongside Matthew and Brady Tkachuk.

“Oh, yeah. I grew up playing with guys," Roese told The Hockey News.

“If I didn't have my head up, I was getting rocked. So, I was kind of used to it and yeah, I love that. It's come to the women's game now. I think it's a long time coming.”

With the PWHL launching its inaugural season, many hockey fans are wondering: What the rules are for body checking in the PWHL and what does it mean to the game?

According to the PHWL rulebook, body checking is allowed when there is a clear intention of playing the puck or attempting to gain possession of the puck with some exceptions. Unlike the NHL, it’s illegal to take a lead up or a stride into a hit. It’s also a penalty to hit a player who is obviously trying to avoid the hit.

“There's a lot of physicality,” says Jayna Hefford, senior vice president of hockey operations for the PWHL, and herself a former Team Canada player. “That was our priority was to let the game be physical…the way…women want to play the game.”

In the 2nd period of Ottawa’s home opener, Montreal’s Catherine Daoust laid into Brianne Jenner who was trying to exit her own zone along the board. Neither player moved out of the way of the hit and play continued.

For Hefford there is a fine line.

“Looking at the physicality and the body contact, the way we've instructed the game to be called is that there's lots of contact along the boards," she said.

“Open ice hitting is still not allowed. A north-south hit is not allowed in this league. But there will be contact on the boards and you'll see that.”

“I love it. I love it,” said Roese. “I think learning to be physical is such an underrated skill.”

“It is a skill to be able to use your body to take a player out of the play and get the puck. I think in Ottawa we’re big on that. That's part of our brand and I think we're going to use that to our advantage.”

Roese’s Ottawa teammate Becca Gilmore reiterated her excitement about a physical brand of hockey.

“It's awesome. That's definitely something that every player wanted,” said Gilmore.

“We're strong players and to be able to play that physical game, obviously cleanly, it's awesome to give us energy on the bench. I think the crowd loved it and to let us play, that is just another step (forward) in women's hockey’s growth.”

“I’ve had a lot of messages of people saying, wow, I like the physicality and the skill," said Hefford. “It’s something that people haven't seen mixed together this way. And I can tell you the fans were pretty excited in the venue. It’s the way the athletes want to play the game and that's what's important. The players are excited about this style of play and we're going to maintain it throughout the season.”

Ottawa forward and Team Canada veteran Emily Clark agrees.

“I think it just adds to the game as a player and for the fans," said Clark. "I mean I'm a player that likes to play physical. And I think with them (PWHL) letting us play quite a bit physical and blurring the lines of the body contact. I think it adds to the intensity of the game and I think it lets us play to our full potential.”