The Premier Hockey Federation (PHF) continues to grow, announcing earlier this week that a franchise in Montreal is joining the league for the 2022-23 season.
The expanding league, formerly known as the National Women’s Hockey League (NWHL), had six teams prior to adding Montreal: the Buffalo Beauts, Boston Pride, Connecticut Whale, Metropolitan Riveters, Minnesota Whitecaps and the Toronto Six.
Adding a seventh team strengthens the league’s presence in the hockey-loving country of Canada.
“This is a very exciting time for the PHF and the growth of professional women’s hockey,” said Reagan Carey, PHF Commissioner. “The city of Montreal and province of Quebec have a rich hockey history that the PHF is proud to officially be a part of.”
Running the Montreal franchise will be new team President Kevin Raphaël, a man whose leadership is matched by his energy and enthusiasm for the sport.
“I’ve been working so hard for the past four years now to bring a team back in Montreal after what happened,” said Raphaël. “I believe that we have the fan base and the infrastructure in the province of Quebec to support strongly a pro women’s hockey team.”
Raphaël, a long-time supporter of women’s hockey and a celebrity in the sport, was referring to the shuttering of the Canadian Women’s Hockey League (CWHL) in 2019, a moment that preceded the founding of the Professional Women’s Hockey Players’ Association (PWHPA).
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