Vancouver Goldeneyes, Seattle Torrent unveiled as names of newest PWHL teams

When the young PWHL dealership in george vancouver plays its number one biz against expansion-cousin Seattle on Nov. 21, the team’s name and logo will be painted at centre ice inside Pacific Coliseum — a tangible sign of the next chapter of women’s hockey in the Pacific city.

That team will be called the Vancouver Goldeneyes, and their cross-border rival will be called the Seattle Torrent, the PWHL announced on Thursday.

It’s the latest step in bringing the league to life on the west coast, and growing the PWHL to eight teams from its original six. Players will begin reporting to training camps on Friday, ahead of opening night later this month.

Building a brand for the two newest women’s pro hockey teams started earlier this year, when Vancouver and Seattle were announced as expansion markets.

“Nature was just something that came out as a hugely important piece that’s ever present, omnipresent, all around and plays such a huge role. I think for us, it was capturing the beauty and authenticity and strength of that and saying, how do we take these elements from nature that are authentic to each of these markets and marry that with some of the DNA of PWHL brand identities as it relates to strength, empowerment, resilience, and really build on that?”

Vancouver’s name comes from the “fiercely protective common goldeneye,” a type of sea bird that’s unique to the area and known for its distinctive yellow-hued eyes.

Those eyes are incorporated into the team’s logo, adding “hints of sunset gold and sky blue” to the team’s primary colours of “Pacific blue, coastal cream and earthy bronze.”

“Drawing inspiration from its speed, strength, and precision in flight, the Goldeneyes reflect Vancouver’s indomitable and unified spirit as they soar to new heights,” the league’s description of the logo says.

“This identity is a perfect reflection of who we are, where we come from, and that we will be relentless to play against every single night,” Goldeneyes forward Jenn Gardiner, who’s from nearby Surrey, B.C., said in a statement.

“When I think of the Goldeneyes, I think of the landscape of British Columbia: the mountains, the ocean, and the grit that comes with growing up here. We want our fans to feel the same pride, and to see themselves as part of the Goldeneyes.”

Seattle, meanwhile, hints at the waterways that run through Washington with its branding.

Similar to the NHL's Seattle Kraken, the Torrent has a stylized S in its logo. The Torrent's "S" is meant to be both “a letterform for Seattle and a rush of water, its flowing curves mirroring river channels.”

“Whenever you’re looking at the culture of a group, you want it to be a really strong room — and to pair that with an incredible city with a storied sports legacy and a brand new identity that speaks to all of that, it’s a great recipe for us," Torrent forward Hilary Knight said in a statement.

The name is also a nod to the frequent rain in the Pacific Northwest, another way that water shapes that region.

“There’s just a million different ways that you can think about the role of water as it relates to the natural beauty of Seattle,” Bhatt-Shah said. “But for us, Torrent specifically really does communicate that strength, that motion, that cascade of energy.”

The league already has team gear for sale with the new names and logos. In Vancouver, where the Goldeneyes will be the anchor tenant of Pacific Coliseum, the branding will be everywhere.

But the new logos won’t be on the Vancouver or Seattle jerseys just yet. There wasn’t enough time to get those on jerseys ahead of the first season, Bhatt-Shah said.

Instead, the Goldeneyes and Torrent will wear jerseys for the first season with the city name across the chest. That's what the PWHL's original six teams wore for their first season, too, but the Bauer-made Vancouver and Seattle jerseys, which were released last month, are elevated beyond what the players wore in the league's first season.

Bhatt-Shah said it’s almost a rite of passage for new PWHL teams to begin with the city name across the chest.

“The vision is for [the names and logos] to co-exist with these jerseys that, while they may not have the crest on them, between the colours and the players who really wear these jerseys and embody the spirit of the identity, it all comes together and works cohesively,” she said.

For the original six teams, the league unveiled names and logos after those teams had played a full season.

One advantage cited by the league at the time was the ability to get a sense of the teams' identities in the community and on the ice before attaching branding. It also didn’t hurt that it forced people to repeat the name of the league every time a team was mentioned.

This time around, the Goldeneyes and Torrent are starting with branding in place. Bhatt-Shah said there were “conversations with community members,” including staff who are from Vancouver and Seattle, to sort out what should be incorporated into the branding.

She said they also tried to incorporate fan feedback.

“Our fans across the league tend to be very passionate and very vocal, which we love,” Bhatt-Shah said.

The PWHL opens its regular season on Nov. 21 with the Toronto Sceptres visiting the reigning Walter Cup champions, the Minnesota Frost, followed by the Torrent in Vancouver that same night.

Each team will play 30 games, with a lengthy break in the middle for the Olympics.

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