Annabel Curry
The PWHL currently consists of six professional teams.
After a record-breaking inaugural season, the 2024 Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL) season ended as Minnesota, the lowest-ranked playoff team, pulled off the most unlikely win. Launched on January 1, 2024, six teams played 24 games each before the playoffs. However, there was a distinct feature of the sport missing. When the Professional Women's Hockey Players Association (PWHPA) and Premier Hockey Federation (PHF) announced their merger to create the PWHL in the summer of 2023, the player-led initiative had two options: take the following season off in order to put together the details of a functioning league or find a way to play in less than six months. Not wanting to lose some of the progress previous leagues had made, in addition to the pay and benefits for players, it was announced that the league would first combine six teams from Toronto, Montréal, Boston, Minnesota, Ottawa, and New York. Due to time constraints, team names and long-term jerseys were put on hold, as city names on standardized jerseys took their place. While it worked for the first season, the league looks to continue moving forward into the next one, thus, they recently announced the official team names.
The Boston Fleet. The Boston Fleet is in reference to Boston’s long history as a port city, with the Boston Harbor being an iconic landmark of the city. The logo is a deep green B with an anchor with a slight lean to represent momentum and the city’s sports legacy. Part of the color scheme also calls back to the Hartford Whalers, a former NHL team from Connecticut, further honoring hockey history in New England.
The New York Sirens. While Siren can often be associated with Greek mythology and the ocean, for the PWHL, it is a reference to the sounds of the city. The logo shows sound waves coming out of the side, and the design of the letters reflects the unique architecture that can only be found in New York City. Encapsulating what it means to live in New York through sound, the team is looking to add an additional association to the word: the team's goal horn, which will hopefully signify a winning season for the team — after they finished last in the previous season.
The Minnesota Frost. More on the nose, the frost directly references the cold weather Minnesota is known for, but also incorporates its connection to hockey. Nicknamed the ‘state of hockey,’ it is the consistent winter frost that brings together citizens to play the game, ingraining it within the state’s culture. The sharp edges of the letter F logo represent the points of icicles, as well as the sense of competitiveness.
The Toronto Sceptres. The Sceptres reference Toronto's history of royalty, from its stint as Queen City to iconic locations like Queen Street. The sceptre is meant to induce the feeling of power to those who wear it, to those who will feel the weight of what it means to play in a city with deep cultural and hockey history.
The Ottawa Charge. The charge is a steady state of growth, a reference to the city’s motto of “advance.” The logo is crafted with aspects of electricity, such as electric current, to represent the impact fans can have on the game. Spikes around an O signify strength and team connection on the ice, striking fear in the hearts of their opponents.
The Montréal Victoire. A city drenched in hockey and cultural history, Montréal’s pride in winning is carried throughout the city, all the way to its hockey team. The logo includes wings to honor Nike, the goddess of victory, but they also include a secret M for the love of the city and a fleu-rde-lis, a symbol of Québec.
The new names and logos of this league are well throughout, honoring history while looking ahead to the future. Jerseys look to be announced around late October or early November, as the PWHL finishes gearing up for another successful season.
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