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The NWHL Rebrand
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Source: victorypress.org
After a very exciting finish to the IIHF Ice Hockey Women’s World Championship last week (big shoutout to Canada and the 🐐 Marie-Philip Poulin), the buzz around hockey during the NHL offseason has been focused on the women’s side - and headlines continue to be made.
The National Women’s Hockey League (NWHL) has officially rebranded into the Premier Hockey Federation (PHF), dropping the “women’s” label from their organization’s name. In an interview on the 31 Thoughts Podcast, commissioner Ty Tumminia cited the recent growth and major changes behind the scenes as the spark for the rebrand. The league had a very impressive bounce-back during the pandemic - hitting new highs in viewership, partnerships, including a broadcast partnership on NBC for the 2021 Isobel Cup. Heading into their 7th season, the salary cap has also doubled to a record high, which is another indicator of the growth of the league.
Tumminia also mentioned that this change can be summed up with the phrase “No labels, no limits” - removing the label of women on the athletes and just labeling them as hockey players. Additionally, it was important to be more inclusive of all their players, with respect to the diversity of gender identities in the league. This strong social statement with the rebrand comes with a new logo that pays homage to the W from the NWHL, unveiled over social media.
The PHF becomes “first professional women’s sports league in North America to lift the word ‘women's out of its title”, and sports fans should be excited at the social change taking place, and the steps being taken to recognize professional women’s sports as equal to professional men’s sports. With last week’s newsletter referencing the rise of female athletes like Simone Biles and Naomi Osaka as the most marketable athletes, the numbers clearly don’t lie. Also, the momentum is not slowing down, as the Baylor Bears announced that they will drop the label “lady” from their women’s basketball program, and call both teams the Bears. The modern athlete is bold, outspoken, and not afraid to show their true colours - and leagues and organizations are beginning to recognize and reflect that in their branding.
Note: an underrated part of the rebrand that Commissioner Tuumminia also mentioned on 31 Thoughts: The Podcast was the international recognition that the name “Premier Hockey Federation” gets. With players from all over Europe and North America playing in the league, it was important to select a name that reflects the professional status at a global level - an eye-opening perspective on the importance of branding beyond the North American bubble.
Published: September 10th, 2021 - Issue 7 of The Sport Marketeer