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Ron MacLean dedicated an entire blog post to it; Tara Slone called it a career highlight.

The inspirational story of Chase Blodgett 鈥� first reported by the Star in December 2014 鈥� earned a national audience Sunday, as the Rogers Hometown Hockey tour made its latest stop in Whitehorse.

Blodgett, 30, is a hockey-loving trans man living in the Yukon capital.

Three months after announcing his transition from female to male in 2014, the Whitehorse Women鈥檚 Hockey Association (WWHA) ruled it would allow transgender players to play in its league 鈥� a precedent-setting policy at the time.

Blodgett鈥檚 story was aired during the pre-game show of Sunday鈥檚 NHL game between the Calgary Flames and Carolina Hurricanes, with MacLean lauding the WWHA鈥檚 decision as a 鈥減ioneering movement.鈥�

The Hometown Hockey host also likened the territory鈥檚 colourful Gold Rush history to Blodgett鈥檚 story, telling co-host Slone: 鈥淚 feel kind of metaphorically as if our show today is chiselling away at foundations, eroding barriers.鈥�

Recalling the story to Slone, Blodgett said the league鈥檚 decision to continue to include him was huge.

鈥淭hey could have excluded me,鈥� he said. 鈥淭here was evidence for both, but they chose to include me. ... I was hoping for tolerance at best, and what they gave me was love.

鈥淚t鈥檚 a really special league,鈥� Blodgett said of the WWHA. 鈥淭here鈥檚 100 women in it and we鈥檙e like a family. ... You know everybody and it鈥檚 just this great sense of community. It鈥檚 such an honour to be included in it.鈥�

The airing of Blodgett鈥檚 story coincided with a groundbreaking recommendation on transgender athletes by the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

The IOC recommended a policy change that would allow transgender athletes compete in Olympics and other national events without undergoing sex reassignment surgery.

Previously, trans athletes required reassessment surgery, followed by multiple years of hormone therapy before being allowed to compete.

鈥淚鈥坱hink it鈥檚 setting the stage for gender non-conforming people in sports at all levels,鈥濃�圔lodgett told MacLean of his response to the decision. 鈥淚t鈥檚 just an exciting time to be alive.鈥�

During the second intermission of the Flames-Hurricanes contest, Blodgett made another appearance on the broadcast due to a hilarious sequence that occurred during a ceremonial puck drop at a WWHA game Saturday night at the Canada Games Centre.

Upon dropping the puck, Slone was stunned to see gameplay commence, with Blodgett winning the draw forward and rushing up ice.

The joke was worth it for Slone, however, as moments later she was presented with a hockey stick pendant complete with a miniature gold nugget, created by local goldsmith and hockey player Cheryl Rivest.

Following Sunday鈥檚 interview with MacLean and Slone, Blodgett said the experience was a humbling one.

鈥淚 grew up watching Ron MacLean and I love Tara Slone,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 an honour to speak on behalf of the Whitehorse women鈥檚 hockey league, because for me, it鈥檚 about us, our community, and the beautiful gift that we are in each other鈥檚 lives.

鈥淭here鈥檚 still a lot of work to be done,鈥� he said concerning transgender policy and legislation. 鈥淏ut it starts with having these people exposed to gender non-conforming individuals and to recognize that we鈥檙e just people. And in my case, I just wanted to play hockey with my friends, and my friends showed up for me in the biggest way possible.鈥�

After spending last season between the pipes for championship-winning Burnt Toast, Blodgett has moved to centre for the same team, and currently has 20 points in 21 games, which ties him for 14th in league scoring.

Teammate Stephanie Hedley said 鈥淏lodge鈥� is one of her best friends.

鈥淚 call him my hockey hubby,鈥� she chuckled. 鈥淚鈥檓 so glad he鈥檚 getting this exposure. A lot of people will maybe more now understand what he鈥檚 going through and give him an open heart, not just judge him right off the bat.鈥�

Meanwhile, fellow teammate Sue Hamilton said she felt fortunate just to play on the same team as Blodgett.

鈥淥ur dressing room is just hilarious all the time,鈥� she said, noting Blodgett鈥檚 larger-than-life personality. 鈥淚t鈥檚 just great.鈥�

The trio spent last weekend together representing the territory at the Pacific Cup women鈥檚 tournament in Victoria, where they earned a division title.

In a blog post on Hometown Hockey鈥檚 website, MacLean said transgender issues 鈥渨ould not generally get space on a hockey telecast, but in Chase鈥檚 case, it鈥檚 a wonderful fit.鈥�

The famed broadcaster went on to praise Blodgett for his class in communicating his story, including the catch phrase: 鈥淚t鈥檚 not who you go to bed with ... it鈥檚 who you go to bed as.鈥�

The Hometown Hockey festival saw hundreds enjoy the festivities on Front Street this weekend. A full review of the weekend will be published in Wednesday鈥檚 paper.