In August 2023, the Mark Walter Group announced the creation and establishment of the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL), a North American professional women’s ice hockey league.
This league differs from previous conceptions of professional women’s hockey leagues because athletes are paid livable wages with benefits. Additionally, all teams are owned by the Mark Walter Group, providing the league with an overall greater financial stability.
The inaugural six teams are located in Boston, St. Paul, New York City, Montréal, Ottawa and Toronto. On January 2nd, 2024, the PWHL officially kicked off its inaugural season when New York faced Toronto at the Mattamy Athletic Centre in Toronto, Canada.
Original Six Teams and Expansion
The league began with six teams and, in the 2025 season, has expanded to eight. The league currently has hopes of adding 2 to 4 expansion teams throughout the next year.
The Minnesota Frost is located in Saint Paul, Minnesota. They are back-to-back Walter Cup champions and the only team to win the league cup so far. Their home base is at the Grand Casino Arena in St. Paul. The team’s primary colors are deep purple, lavender and white. Their logo is a stylized “F” shaped like an icicle, conveying a fierce and competitive intensity.
The Boston Fleet is located in Boston, Massachusetts. They host their games in the Tsongas Center in Lowell, Massachusetts. Their team’s primary colors consist of oceanic blue, deep green and white. Their “B” logo at the center of their jerseys is styled as an anchor, representing a maritime theme.
The Montréal Victore is located in the Greater Montréal area and they play in the Place Bell arena in Laval, Quebec and Canada. Their primary colors are burgundy, navy blue and cream. The team’s logo is inspired by Montréal’s heritage. The logo and jerseys incorporate the fleur-de-lis, featuring wing shapes with the letter “M,” hinting at victory.
The New York Sirens team is located in Newark, New Jersey. They share the Prudential Center with the NHL’s New Jersey Devils. The team colors are teal, navy blue and orange. The logo itself resembles a sound-wave effect.
The Ottawa Charge is located in Ottawa, Canada, where they host their games in TD Place Arena. The team’s primary colors are red, storm grey and electric yellow. The logo is designed as a “C” for charge, which is stylized to look fast-moving and represents high-voltage hockey alongside the city’s motto, “Advance – Ottawa – En Avant.”
The Toronto Sceptres is located in Toronto, Canada, and play at the Coca-Cola Coliseum, which they share with the Toronto Maple Leafs’ AHL affiliate, the Toronto Marlies. The team’s colors consist of royal blue and yellow-gold, showing the team’s rich and royal brand identity. The team’s “T” and “S” are interconnected, representing power, strength, authority and the team’s motto, “rise and reign.”
The Seattle Torrent, a new expansion team founded in 2025, not included in the original six, is located in Seattle, Washington, where they host their opponents at the Climate Pledge Arena. The team colors are slate green, blue and glacier blue. The team logo is primarily the letter “S,” representing the city of Seattle, and the design represents the aquatic region.
The Vancouver Goldeneyes, a new expansion team founded in 2025, play at the Pacific Coliseum, located in Vancouver, Canada. The team’s region is represented with a color palette consisting of Pacific blue, coastal cream and earthy bronze. The team’s logo features a “striking golden eye” surrounded by wings, symbolizing vision and speed, with a “northwest orientation” pointing to Vancouver.
All teams do an amazing job of incorporating their city’s culture, history and mottos into their brand.
Changing the Narrative
For many decades, women could not make a career out of playing hockey. The PWHL has changed this.
Young women finally have a realistic pathway to make their passion for hockey a profession and are able to play in a league equal to the men.
This league is healing many generations of women who grew up playing hockey but were denied a livable professional playing career. Moreover, it gives women’s hockey players a chance to prove their capabilities in a sport that is dominated by men.
So far, the league has had much success: breaking attendance and viewership records while also receiving positive reactions from fans.
My hope for the future of women’s ice hockey is that there will be proper development programs and systems in place to help further the development of young players hoping to play professionally.
Women’s sports are our future, and the PWHL is a testament to what is to come.