The NWHL, North America’s only remaining women’s professional league, has decided to rebrand. It will now be known as the Premier Hockey Federation, a decision explained by commissioner Tyler Tumminia today:
The Premier Hockey Federation is home to some of the best professional athletes in the world who deserve to be recognized for their abilities and to be empowered as equals in sport. This league has come a long way since its inception in 2015 and we believe that this is the right time and the right message as we strengthen our commitment to growing the game and inspiring youth.
The rebrand comes with a new logo and a new focus on the skill and talent of the PHF athletes, rather than their gender. It comes as the league prepares for another season which will begin in November and after a strong 2021 campaign that saw massive sponsorship improvements and a huge salary cap increase. The league has also experienced expansion recently and has hinted at further movement across North America in that regard.
The IIHF Women’s World Championship, which was recently held in Calgary and included players from the PHF, experienced a huge amount of television success in Canada. The gold medal game, played between Canada and the U.S., attracted a record average audience of 836,000 viewers and was peaking at 1.6 million when Marie-Philip Poulin scored the overtime winner.
Poulin of course is part of the PWHPA, a traveling showcase group that has been at odds with the PHF in the past but provides an alternative for professionals in North America. One of the biggest issues in women’s hockey the last several years has been the division of many of the game’s top talents, with many working against the PHF and toward a drastically different league structure. That battle will continue even through this rebrand, though the PHF certainly isn’t going anywhere just yet.
There has never been even one person with any business acumen involved in professional women’s hockey.
Self defeat after counterproductive decision after self defeat after counterproductive decision.
Problem is that many don’t even know that the league exists. Also, look at their venues. The Riveters play in a small rink in central New Jersey in a small town.
And when they get a little support they push back with their nonsense. Hope this league does as well as the others.
I don’t know about you guys, but when I see “Premier Hockey Federation”, it makes me think this is tied to the KHL, deep in the bowels of Russia. Not good marketing strategy, in my book. It would be great to see them succeed, but someone there in the bureaucracy needs better sense.
I don’t know about you, Mac, but I was just waiting for the right name for this league so I could get on board! If it’s a “Premier” league, I’m all in! :D
BTW, I made the big time two weeks ago! Boomer Gordon on the SiriusXM NHL channel gave me a shout out for an email I sent him about the Preds never ending goal scoring futility. Almost dropped my ice tea when he said my name! :)
@Gbear – That, my friend, deserves a ThumbsUp! Now, comes the downside – autograph seekers and groupies! My recommendation? Hide in plain sight with loud Hawaiian shirts and pricey sunglasses! :)
Fortunately, he only said my first name, else I’d be digging out my old Magnum P.I. threads. :D
@Gbear – And, don’t forget to *ask* Higgins before you snatch the keys to the Ferrari! :)
Have to get thru Zeus and Apollo first! :)
@Gbear – Woof-Woof!
No matter how often people try to force women’s sports as being equal, they are not. WNBA would have folded long ago without financial payments from the NBA.
dropping the “womens” portion out of it so they can include transgender now too and attempt to grow their market to 6 people if played while thr NHL is active. If the women’s world hockey Champs had occurred while there was NHL or men’s Champs going on that viewership would have been minimal.
Thats a great idea tbh! Including women with penises that have no physical advantage over women with wombs whatsoever could really grow the sport.