The women’s professional hockey circuit unveiled its expansion plans Tuesday, as a seventh team, this one based in Montreal, will be added for the 2022-23 season.
Until now, the Premier Hockey Federation (PHF) consisted of six teams, namely the Connecticut Whale, Toronto Six, Boston Pride, Metropolitan Riveters, Minnesota Whitecaps, and Buffalo Beauts.
The leadership of the new Montreal organization includes President Kevin Raphaël and Vice President Emmanuel Anderson. It also foresees a collaboration agreement for the next season with the Center 21.02, a high-performance hockey center run by Danièle Sauvageau.
Montreal’s official team name and logo will be announced in the coming weeks, along with announcements of the first coaching staff and team roster.
“This is a very exciting time for the PHF and the growth of professional women’s hockey,” said PHF Commissioner Reagan Carey.
“The city of Montreal and the province of Quebec have a rich hockey history that the PHF is proud to officially be a part of. Along with community pride and a passion for the sport, the leadership of Danièle, Kevin and Emmanuel brings a trio of hockey, business and promotional experience that will have an immediate and lasting impact.”
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Raphaël, a connoisseur of women’s hockey, has long been an ambassador for the sport throughout the province. He regularly uses his platform to raise awareness of the sport and its athletes, including producing a three-part documentary series in 2020 called Sabbaticalwhich examined the state of women’s hockey.
Raphael has been a business partner with Anderson for over a decade, collaborating on numerous projects in sports, entertainment and philanthropy. In particular, its annual charity hockey game known as “Classique KR” features NHL players, female hockey stars, and Quebec personalities and raises funds to support childhood cancer foundations.
“Professional women’s hockey is back in Montreal, and Emmanuel and I are excited to work with the PHF to help develop women’s sport throughout the province of Quebec,” said Raphaël.
“We look forward to building a team with strong community partnerships and talented players who are ready to make a real difference on and off the ice. This is just the beginning of what will be a very special season for everyone.”
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The city’s professional women’s hockey history includes the Montreal Stars, founded in 2007 and renamed the Montreal Canadiennes in 2015. They competed in the Canadian Women’s Hockey League and won a record four Clarkson Cups, between 2009 and 2019.
In December 2015, Les Canadiennes and Pride made history when they played the first women’s game outdoors as part of the NHL Winter Classic festivities. This is the third time the PHF has grown since the league’s inception in 2015.
“The expansion is an important part of PHF’s commitment to grow the sport by providing increased opportunities for more professional players to develop and compete, while inspiring the next generation to pursue their own dreams in the sport,” said Carey.
“The introduction of a new team to the PHF in 2022-23 will help us build a strong and sustainable future, step by step. We will continue to evaluate further expansion opportunities in North America beyond next season.”
The schedule for the 2022-23 PHF season has not yet been released. Specific details on home games and Montreal venues will be determined at a later date.
The Canadian Women’s Hockey League (CWHL), founded in 2007, included the Montreal team Les Canadiennes de Montréal and ceased operations in 2019.
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