By Hailey Salvian, Shayna Goldman and Sean Gentille
We waited over a year for the right PWHL nicknames and logos. Now that we have them, thanks to Monday’s official reveal, we’re not going to waste any more time.
Which of the six new combos – the Boston Fleet, Minnesota Frost, Montréal Victoire, New York Sirens, Ottawa Charge and Toronto Scepters – is our number 1? How does the rest measure up?
GO DEEPER
PWHL unveils team names and logos: ‘We just couldn’t be happier’
The Athletics Hailey Salvian, Shayna Goldman and Sean Gentille combined for the final rankings.
1. Montreal Victoire
Hailey Rank: 1
Sean Rank: 3
Shayna Rank: 1
Shayna: Everything about the look and branding of Montreal just clicks. Victoire just feels fresh compared to other names associated with hockey in Montreal in the past (and now, actually). It’s something that works for both French and English speakers too. The maroon color scheme feels grand enough to match the energy the name carries, and the use of cream on white adds a classic touch. The navy blue completes the look and accentuates the logo. I’ve had some nitpicks here and there with the rest of the teams, so the combination of the name and logo makes this an easy #1 for me.
Hailey: I was surprised how much I liked Montreal as I wanted the league to go back to Les Canadiennes from the CWHL days. Anyway, Montreal has the best combination of name and logo, which for me gives it the edge over New York and Toronto. There are more details to appreciate in the Montreal logo, with the fleur-de-lis and hidden M towards the bottom. ‘Victoire’ is also just a cool name for a team with the most players in the history of women’s football.
Sean: I almost think it’s a shame that they’re at number 3. Shayna and Hailey are right about everything. I really appreciate the freshness of the package; If this isn’t groundbreaking, it’s pretty close. Plus, the logo looks like a diamond! No one else said that!
2. Toronto Sceptres
Hailey Rank: 3
Sean Rank: 2
Shayna Rank: 2
Hailey: If you asked me immediately after the PWHL announcement, I would probably have “Sceptres” lower than #3 and maybe I was just a picky local because I can see Coca-Cola Coliseum from my apartment. But Toronto’s logo is perhaps my favorite of the six and I really like the name – if anything, it’s certainly unique. The colors look great, and I think a team like Toronto – with fans dressed as spoons and nurses last season – could have a lot of fun with this. Sarah Nurse literally has a brand with the motto ‘Queen Energy Only’.
Shayna: Definitely yes to the logo and color scheme. Just the name… I need some time for this. The Toronto teaser tweeted recently it made me think that ‘Royals’ or ‘Monarchs’ was the direction here, and I think either would have taken a hit. Scepters is not a bad name and unique for a sports team, it just doesn’t roll off the tongue yet.
Sean: I didn’t really like the nickname at first – not at all – but I quickly fell in love with it… if we’re judging on a curve. I don’t like a monarchy; For this reason, Canadian money bothers me. Still, points for creativity, the originality of a navy-light blue-gold combo and the best logo of the bunch. It will sell well with Taylor Swift fans.
Hailey: I didn’t even think about that. Sean might be the biggest Swiftie of the group!
3. Sirens from New York
Hailey Rank: 2
Sean Rank: 1
Shayna Rank: 6
Sean: I’m hard to please when it comes to team names. I don’t like collective nouns (i.e. “Kraken”), but I’m also not looking for more Panthers or Vikings. That’s a small sweet spot, and no one hit it more directly than the Sirens. The logo isn’t my favorite (something about the way the wordmark bisects the Y), but I think it will stand out as a center logo.
The main reason I put them in my top spot: I don’t think a combination of name and logo offers more cohesion. “Sirens” works as a reference to hockey, yes, but also to Long Island Sound, and I continue to love that shade of teal, especially in concert with the New York Liberty and Gotham FC. It is the total package.
Hailey: I was Team New York Sirens until my last-minute diversion to the Montreal bandwagon. I think the Sirens name is my favorite, but the Montreal logo was the deciding factor in my ranking. The colors are great and the synergy with women’s sports in the tri-state area is a nice touch. This team also has a lot of potential with activations in the arena. Can we get a giant siren?
Shayna: I absolutely love that New York is leaning towards teal to stay consistent with Liberty and Gotham FC. But the name is a no from me. I know it’s probably a reference to the water, but my first thought was, “We get it, New York is loud and has a lot of sirens.” I’d actually prefer the Sound, one of the original trademarks leaked last year. That made sense for a team that bounced between New York, Connecticut and New Jersey. As for the logo, do you remember the Superman S that you probably sketched on your notebook in high school? This feels like a dressed up version of that.
4. Boston Fleet
Hailey Rank: 4
Sean Rank: 4
Shayna Rank: 3
Sean: I had a pretty defined top three and bottom three – half the brands seem to be going for one, and half – and Boston was the best of the second batch, largely based on the logo. It helps that the letter ‘B’ looks so much like a fishing hook, but credit where it’s due. I also see a bit of a Hartford Whalers reference, if you look from the side. Is that my projection? Maybe. In any case, it’s fine. A bit uninspired, but fine. As for the name, I don’t like ‘Fleet’, but I also dislike it less than the other (Anglo) collective nouns.
Hailey: Although Boston is a level below Montreal, New York and Toronto, for me it is also the best of the rest. The logo is much better than Ottawa and Minnesota – the B details and the anchor shape – although I like the name ‘Charge’ better than ‘Fleet’. I can’t imagine it’s easy to develop a sports brand in a city with the Red Sox, Bruins and Celtics, but this is a nice entry point.
Shayna: Boston might have one of the coolest logos here, which really helps its ranking. The anchor-like B is just as sharp. If that W is an intentional reference to the Whalers, I like it even more as a way to celebrate New England hockey in the post-Connecticut Whale era. The name initially made me sour, but it’s not that bad. It’s a nice nod to Boston’s history and being an important seaport overall.
5. Minnesota Frost
Hailey Rank: 5
Sean Rank: 5
Shayna Rank: 5
Shayna: I was really partial to the “Reign” here with the purple scheme as a nod to Prince, but this isn’t a bad direction. The Minnesota Frost is honestly a pretty sick name that makes a lot of sense for a hockey team without being too cheesy and literal. The reason they don’t rank higher isn’t because the other teams are all so incredible that it was a process of elimination. The logo just falls short and drags the entire branding down. The ‘F’ is a promising start, but feels so incomplete.
Sean: This feels more like a team-building template than any of the others. I think the negative space creates a mountain, which… it’s something. Points for purple.
Hailey: More than the other teams, Minnesota feels like a victim of the legal process when it comes to naming sports teams in 2024. The Ontario Reign already exists in the AHL, and the league clearly wanted new names that it could fully own. I honestly don’t hate the Frost – or any names for that matter – and I love the colors, but I can’t stop thinking about the F in a cartoon superhero. I thought it was Frozone, but he’s not wearing purple.
6. Ottawa tax
Hailey Rank: 6
Sean Rank: 6
Shayna Rank: 4
Shayna: Ottawa is very middle ground for me. I think the more I look at it, the more I find flaws in it. The color scheme isn’t reinventing the wheel, but the red-yellow-white is bright and striking on the ice, which I appreciate. But I agree with what Sean said earlier about collective nouns for team names. And the logo (plus the color scheme) depicts a knock-off Calgary Flames. I love the Flames look and logo, so it’s not necessarily a bad thing. It’s just not my favorite!
Hailey: I honestly don’t have any strong feelings about Ottawa: The name works well enough for me, and the logo is fine. The whole electric charge vibe would have been cool if Daryl Watts was still on the team. Too fast! I’m sorry!
Sean: “Go Charge Go” makes for a great arena chant, but the rest of it sounds way too close to a software company logo from 1997 for my taste. Sorry.
(Images courtesy of PWHL)
