The Professional Women’s Hockey League and its six teams took one giant leap on Monday, officially announcing their team names and revealing their logos ahead of its second season of existence. Below are the official names:
(Re)introducing the inaugural six, as you've never seen them before:
Boston Fleet
Minnesota Frost
Victoire de Montreal
New York Sirens
Ottawa Charge
Toronto Sceptres pic.twitter.com/oMTyeTbecL— PWHL (@thepwhlofficial) September 9, 2024
PWHL Boston will be known as the Boston Fleet.
We are the Boston Fleet. pic.twitter.com/bKDj1d6oNB
— Boston Fleet (@PWHL_Boston) September 9, 2024
PWHL Minnesota will be known as the Minnesota Frost.
We are the Minnesota Frost. pic.twitter.com/wKJKcqNFB4
— Minnesota Frost (@PWHL_Minnesota) September 9, 2024
PWHL Montreal will be known as the Montreal Victoire.
Nous sommes la Victoire de Montréal.
We are the Montréal Victoire. pic.twitter.com/QHgJxbBcTe
— Victoire de Montréal (@PWHL_Montreal) September 9, 2024
PWHL New York will be known as the New York Sirens.
We are the New York Sirens. pic.twitter.com/t37AZG59dI
— New York Sirens (@PWHL_NewYork) September 9, 2024
PWHL Ottawa will be known as the Ottawa Charge.
We are the Ottawa Charge. pic.twitter.com/CVYH0iZgWo
— Ottawa Charge (@PWHL_Ottawa) September 9, 2024
PWHL Toronto will be known as the Toronto Sceptres.
We are the Toronto Sceptres. pic.twitter.com/Kytgvby8MX
— Toronto Sceptres (@PWHL_Toronto) September 9, 2024
“Our teams were so proud to represent their home markets last season, and as we launch Season Two, we’re elevating that pride with new identities that truly embody the spirit of each club,” Jayna Hefford, PWHL senior vice president of hockey operations, said in a league statement. “These new names and logos capture the dynamic energy of our athletes and enhance our teams’ presence in their cities, building a stronger foundation for the future of our league.”
Amy Scheer, PWHL senior vice president of business operations, says the unveiling of these new team identities marks “a significant milestone for the entire PWHL community.”
“Over the inaugural season, we rigorously developed the most authentic team brands for each city,” Scheer said. “The PWHL has united the professional women’s hockey community, and we are excited for these new identities to deepen the connection between the teams and their local communities.”
In the week ahead of the announcement, the league’s six teams erased their team colours on their respective social medias platforms, posting cryptic and teaser photos that were vague hints towards their new team names.
PWHL Boston posted a photo of the city’s waterfront with the phrase, “Something is coming.”
Something is coming 09.09.2024. pic.twitter.com/qNcdbVRl9C
— Boston Fleet (@PWHL_Boston) September 5, 2024
PWHL Minnesota posted a photo with an icy forest with the phrase, “A cold front is rolling in.”
A cold front is rolling in on 09.09.2024 pic.twitter.com/Y50Da0ehQD
— PWHL Minnesota (@PWHL_Minnesota) September 5, 2024
PWHL Montreal posted a team photo with the phrase, “Something is coming.”
Le changement nous appelle. 09.09.2024
Something is calling. pic.twitter.com/0cChO2eaAD
— LPHF Montréal (@PWHL_Montreal) September 5, 2024
PWHL New York posted a photo of the city’s downtown with the phrase, “Turning the volume up.”
Turning the volume up on 09.09.2024. pic.twitter.com/mnRcddV6HB
— PWHL New York (@PWHL_NewYork) September 5, 2024
PWHL Ottawa posted a photo of forward Gabbie Hughes with the phrase, “Bringing the energy.”
Bringing the energy on 09.09.2024 pic.twitter.com/Yo1HefIVvB
— PWHL Ottawa (@PWHL_Ottawa) September 5, 2024
PWHL Toronto posted a photo of a blue queen with the phrase, “Almost ready to rule the rink.”
Almost ready to rule the rink.
09.09.2024 pic.twitter.com/RIHTbtlPpT
— PWHL Toronto (@PWHL_Toronto) September 5, 2024
Last October, it was reported by Clark Rasmussen of Detroit Hockey that applications for the Toronto Torch, Montreal Echo, Ottawa Alert, Minnesota Superior, Boston Wicked and New York Sound were filed with the United States Patent and Trademark Office by PWHL Holdings, LLC.
However, as mentioned at the time of the reporting, those trademarks did not guarantee those were the names for the six teams, as the NHL’s Vegas Golden Knights and Seattle Kraken filed multiple trademarks for potential team names before settling on the Golden Knights and Kraken, respectively.
The league was announced in August 2023 after the Mark Walter Group announced a new league with the formation of the Professional Women’s Hockey Players Association (PWHPA) and the now-folded Premier Hockey Federation (PHF).
Last May, PWHL Minnesota defeated PWHL Boston to become the first team in league history to win the Walter Cup.