They are no longer no-names.

After a nearly year-long preparation process, the Professional Women’s Hockey League unveiled the nicknames and logos for all of its six franchises starts its second season.

A fleet sails to Boston, a frost settles in Minnesota and sirens in New York. For the teams north of the border, there’s Victoire in Montreal, an attack in Ottawa and the waving of sceptres – yes, the Canadian spelling – in Toronto.

The long-awaited names and logos come after the league, due to time constraints – it was founded in late June 2023 and began play on January 1 – spent its inaugural season referring to each team with a PWHL prefix, such as PWHL Minnesota, which won the first Walter Cup championship in May.

It was around this time that league officials Amy Scheer and Kanan Bhatt-Shaw officially signed the results, meeting a 10-month deadline to deliver the names and logos to PWHL suppliers for printing in time for the second season, which was scheduled to begin in early December.

“It’s certainly daunting, but it’s absolutely a labor of love,” Scheer, the league’s vice president of business operations, told the Associated Press. “I think anyone who has worked in sports or is a marketing or brand person would look at this as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”

Just don’t ask them to choose a favorite.

“I love all my children equally,” said Scheer, laughing.

“I can only attest to that,” added Bhatt-Shaw, vice president of brand and marketing. “In real life, I only have one child and it’s really nice to have seven now.”

The pair described the process as both exhausting and rewarding. The task involved going through hundreds of possible names – many of which were eliminated because the PWHL couldn’t acquire rights on either side of the border – and designing the logos and finding the right one to capture the spirit of each market.

Another limitation was the transmission of the Color schemes from Year 1 for continuity reasons, so that fans who have purchased previous merchandise do not feel out of place.

As for the nicknames, Scheer and Bhatt-Shaw believe they speak for themselves.

__ The fleet represents Boston’s maritime tradition and has a logo with a forward-leaning “B” in the shape of an anchor.

__ According to the PWHL, the Minnesota Frost embody “hockey state’s deep-rooted love for the ice,” with the “F” logo featuring sharp, icicle-like spikes.

__ The name Victoire is a tribute to the team’s French-Canadian homeland. The logo features a blue “M” for Montreal and a fleur-de-lis, a national symbol of Quebec.

__ The sirens are an ode to the vibrant sights and sounds of New York, alluding to the gate horn, while the logo represents the Big Apple’s skyline through the angular design of the letters “NY”.

__ The Ottawa Charge reflects the motto of the Canadian capital “Advance – Ottawa – En Avant” with a logo featuring a large, unfinished letter “O” that also resembles the letter “C”.

__ The sceptres, according to the PWHL, “embody Toronto’s royal history and imposing presence” and reflect that Ontario’s capital is also known as the “Queen City.” The logo features a large sceptre with the letters “T” and “S” incorporated into the handle.

The PWHL worked with New York-based creative agency Flower Shop on the process. Scheer and Bhatt-Shaw also discussed ideas with a group of PWHL employees, who voted on potential names. Last season, the two consulted with fans to get a feel for each market.

Although they are proud of their name and logo and have developed a close association with them, both are aware that their decisions will spark debate – and criticism – among fans.

“Everyone is going to sit behind their computer and type in good, bad and ugly. And that’s OK,” Scheer said. “I think we went through a very thorough process. We’re very confident that we have six great names that are bold, confident, strong, competitive and, I think, resonate in the markets they operate in.”

She took offense when she was told that the Fleet “B” logo on the side could also resemble a “W,” which some might interpret as a tribute to the former Hartford Whalers of the NHL.

“This ‘B’ is a lateral anchor and only a lateral anchor,” Scheer said.

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AP Women’s Hockey: https://apnews.com/hub/womens-hockey