Haley Salvian, Shayna Goldman, Shawn Gentille
We've waited over a year for an official PWHL nickname and logo, and thanks to Monday's official announcement, we now have them, so we're not going to waste any more time.
Which of the six new combinations – Boston Fleet, Minnesota Frost, Montreal Victoires, New York Sirens, Ottawa Charge and Toronto Scepters – is our No. 1? How about the rest?
Going deeper
PWHL unveils team names, logos: 'We couldn't be more excited'
Athletic Haley Salvian, Shayna Goldman and Shawn Gentille teamed up to create the final rankings.
1. Montreal Victoire
Haley Rank: 1
Sean Rank: 3
Shayna Rank: 1
Shayna: Everything about Montreal's look and branding comes together nicely. Compared to other names associated with Montreal hockey past (and present), Victoire feels fresh. It's embraced by both French and English speakers. The maroon color scheme is grand enough to match the energy the name brings, and the use of cream over white adds a classic feel. The navy completes the look and complements the logo. There are some nitpicky details here and there with the other teams, but the combination of the name and logo makes this an easy #1 pick for me.
Haley: I was surprised to like Montreal so much because I wanted the league to go back to Les Canadiennes in the CWHL days. Anyway, Montreal has the best name/logo combination, which is why it's better than New York or Toronto for me. I especially like the finer details of Montreal's logo, such as the fleur-de-lis and the hidden M at the bottom. “Victoires” is a cool name for a team with the most competitive players in the history of women's soccer.
Sean: I almost feel bad for ranking this at number 3. Shayna and Haley were so right on the money. I really appreciate the novelty of the packaging. If it's not groundbreaking, it's pretty damn close. Also, the logo looks like a diamond. No one ever said that!
2. Toronto Scepters
Haley Rank: 3
Sean Rank: 2
Shayna Rank: 2
HaleyIf you asked me right after the PWHL announcement, I probably would have put the Scepters lower than third. I can see the Coca-Cola Coliseum from my apartment, so maybe I'm just being picky as a local. But Toronto's logo might be my favorite of the six, and I'm growing to like the name too. If nothing else, it's certainly unique. The colors are great, and I think a team like Toronto (which had fans dressed as spoons and nurses last season) would have a lot of fun with this. Sarah Nurse has a brand that literally lives up to their motto: “Queen Energy Only.”
Shayna: As for the logo and color scheme, I totally agree. As for the name… that's going to take some time. I saw the Toronto teaser tweeted the other day and I thought the direction this team was going in was either “Royals” or “Monarchs,” but I think either would be a hit. Scepter is not a bad name, and it's unique to a sports team, but it's just hard to say yet.
Sean: At first I didn't like the nickname at all, but I quickly grew to like it… if I were to give it a rating. I don't like the monarchy and I hate Canadian money for that reason. Still, the creativity, the originality of the navy, light blue and gold combination and the awesome logo are points. I think it will sell well with Taylor Swift fans.
Haley: I never thought of that. Shawn might be the Swiftiest of the group!
3. New York Sirens
Haley Rank: 2
Sean Rank: 1
Shayna Rank: 6
SeanI'm a bit of a picky eater when it comes to team names. I don't like collective nouns (like “Kraken”), but I don't want a name like the Panthers or Vikings either. It's that little sweet spot, and no team hits it better than the Sirens. The logo isn't my favorite (I don't like how the wordmark is a half-Y), but I think it stands out as a center crest.
The main reason I put them at the top is because I don't think there's a more cohesive name and logo combination. “Sirens” definitely evokes hockey, but it also evokes the Long Island Sound. And I still love that teal color scheme, especially the collaboration between the New York Liberty and Gotham FC. It's all perfect.
Haley: I was Team New York Sirens until I jumped on the Montreal bandwagon at the last moment. I love the name Sirens, but the Montreal logo is what clinched my ranking. The colors are great and the synergy with women's sports in the tri-state area is fantastic. This team also has great potential for arena action. Can I have a giant siren?
Shayna: I really like how New York leans towards blue-green to be consistent with Liberty FC and Gotham FC. But the name is a no-no for me. It's probably something to do with water, but my immediate thought was “New York is loud with all the sirens.” In fact, I think the sound, one of the original trademarks leaked last year, is better. It makes sense for a team that travels between New York, Connecticut, and New Jersey. As for the logo, remember the Superman S you probably drew in your middle school notebook? This feels like a dressed-up version of it.
4. Boston Fleet
Haley Rank: 4
Sean Rank: 4
Shayna Rank: 3
Sean: The top three and bottom three were pretty clear. Half the brands seem to be going in one direction and the other half in another. In the second group, Boston was the best, mainly based on its logo. Partly because the letter “B” looks a lot like a fish hook, but that makes sense. From the side, it also looks like a slight reference to the Hartford Whalers. Is that just my projection? Maybe. Either way, it's fine. A bit unoriginal, but it's fine. As for names, I don't like “Fleet,” but I don't dislike it as much as I dislike other (English-speaking) collective nouns.
Haley: Boston is a step below Montreal, New York and Toronto, but to me it's the best of the other teams. The logo is much better than Ottawa or Minnesota, like the detail on the inside of the B and the anchor shape. I prefer the name “Charge” over “Fleet” though. I imagine it's not easy to develop a sports brand in a city with the Red Sox, Bruins and Celtics, but this is a great entry.
Shayna: Boston might have one of the coolest logos here. This really boosts Boston's ranking. The anchor-like B is super sharp. If this W is an intentional reference to the Whalers, I like it even more as a way to celebrate New England hockey post-Connecticut Whalers. I was initially put off by the name, but it's not that bad. It's a nice nod to Boston's history and being a major seaport overall.
5. Minnesota Frost
Haley Rank: 5
Sean Rank: 5
Shayna Rank: 5
Shayna: I was rooting for “Reign” with their purple scheme in honor of Prince, which isn't a bad move. The Minnesota Frost is honestly a pretty cool name and makes a lot of sense for a hockey team without being too cheesy or literal. The reason they're not ranked higher isn't because all the other teams are great so they were left out. The logo is lame and it drags down the whole brand. “F” is a promising start but feels very incomplete.
Sean: This one feels more like a team building template than any of the other templates. The negative space seems to create mountains, which is… awesome. Points to purple.
HaleyMinnesota, more than any other team, feels like a victim of the legal process when it comes to naming their sports teams for 2024. The Ontario Reign already exist in the AHL, and the league clearly wanted a new name that it could fully own. I honestly don't hate Frost, or any of the names really, and I love the colors, but I just can't get the idea out of my head that the F is for a comic book superhero. I was thinking Frozone, but he doesn't wear purple.
6. Ottawa Charge
Haley Rank: 6
Sean Rank: 6
Shayna Rank: 4
ShaynaOttawa is middle of the road for me. The more I look at them, the more flaws I find. Their color scheme isn't groundbreaking, but the red, yellow, and white are bright and eye-catching on the ice, so I appreciate them. However, I agree with what Sean said earlier about using a collective noun in the team name. And their logo (and color scheme) is a knockoff of the Calgary Flames. I love the look and logo of the Flames, so that's not necessarily a bad thing. It's just not my favorite.
Haley: To be honest, I don't have any strong feelings towards Ottawa. The name is good enough for me and the logo is fine. If Daryl Watts was still on the team, that energy would have been cool. Too early! Sorry!
Sean“Go Charge Go” would make a great arena chant, but the rest of the song sounds too much like a software company logo circa 1997 for my taste. Sorry.
(Image courtesy of PWHL)
