It's only a matter of time before Pittsburgh gets a Professional Women's Hockey League team of its own. The Penguins and Fenway Sports Group remain committed to bringing a team to Pittsburgh, and are continuing to make preparations and do their research on all they need to make a team work in Pittsburgh. With the PWHL looking to expand from six to eight teams as early as the 2025-26 season, Pittsburgh getting a team could happen sooner rather than later.
A big question, though, is what will a team be called? I like the idea of the Pittsburgh Pennies -- it'd honor the city's first-ever women's hockey team from the 1970s with the same name, it'd allow them to also be called the "Pens," and it's just something that's unique.
Coming up with a name is a challenging endeavor. When the PWHL was formed rather quickly before its inaugural season, the league opted to not rush and go without team names for a year before coming up with the Boston Fleet, New York Sirens, Minnesota Frost, Ottawa Charge, Toronto Sceptres and Montreal Victoire. The Utah Hockey Club is following a similar path, going without a "real" name for a year in order to take the time to come up with something good.
Coming up with a good name right on the spot is an impossible task, but I asked Penguins players to do it anyway for fun in this Survey Says. We'll put their ideas firmly in the "maybe" pile.
Alex Nedeljkovic: I'm bad at making stuff up but what's coming to my head is bridges. They're gold. I was going to say the Golden Arches but now I'm thinking that's McDonald's.
Kris Letang: The Bumblebees.
Rickard Rakell: Pittsburgh Deers. There's a lot of deers here.
Sidney Crosby: Oh! What about the Power? That was the arena football team. I like that.
Cody Glass: I would say the Steel, but the Steelers are already here.
Noel Acciari: I think the Prime, like it sounds like Primanti's.
Michael Bunting: Something with Heinz. We have Steel for the Steelers, and Heinz started here. Something to do with that. Ketchup, mustard, I don't know.
Joel Blomqvist: It would need something to do with steel. Yeah, the Steelheads.
Bryan Rust: Something to do with the rivers ... Maybe like, the Three River Queens.
Phil Tomasino: It's the Steel City, right? So maybe the Pittsburgh Steel, Steel HC.
Kevin Hayes: Pittsburgh has the Steelers, but Pittsburgh Steel. Like, Steel HC.
Matt Nieto: Maybe, like, the Tinkerbells. I have no idea! That's the first thing that came to mind.
Matt Grzelcyk: Honestly, I don't even have a guess right now. I haven't been here long enough to know the ins and outs of the city.
Anthony Beauvillier: What's a female penguin, or other kind of penguin? Maybe like the Puffins? Something like that.
P.O Joseph: Oh wow, Heinz maybe? The Heinz.
Valtteri Puustinen: Penguins in Finnish is Pingviinit. Maybe that! You have the Penguins and Pingviinit.
Blake Lizotte: The Sparrows. I don't know why, that's just what came to mind.
Ryan Shea: Thinking of other women's teams, I don't want to reuse names like, the Boston Pride. The first things that come to mind are like, bridges, steel. You could shorten the Steelers and be the Pittsburgh Steel, that sounds good and doesn't take away from the Steelers.
Ryan Graves: Something with the rivers ... The River Monsters.
Tristan Jarry: What's a baby Penguin called? A chick? The Pittsburgh Chicks.
Marcus Pettersson: The Bridges.
Drew O'Connor: The Monongahelas. Isn't that the river? Buccos would be a cool name, but they can't really do that because the Pirates go by that.
Jack St. Ivany: It's the City of Steel, but the Steelers use that. Something with the rivers? Pittsburgh Rivers.
Erik Karlsson: The Rivers. They can hire me, if they want. I can come up with a name for a couple hundred grand.
Want to participate in our comments?
Want an ad-free experience?
Become a member, and enjoy premium benefits! Make your voice heard on the Steelers, Penguins and Pirates, and hear right back from tens of thousands of fellow Pittsburgh sports fans worldwide! Plus, access all our premium content, including Dejan Kovacevic columns, Friday Insider, daily Live Qs with the staff, more! And yeah, that's right, no ads at all!
THE ASYLUM
Taylor Haase
6:04 pm - 12.28.2024Elmont, N.Y.Survey Says: Name a PWHL team
It's only a matter of time before Pittsburgh gets a Professional Women's Hockey League team of its own. The Penguins and Fenway Sports Group remain committed to bringing a team to Pittsburgh, and are continuing to make preparations and do their research on all they need to make a team work in Pittsburgh. With the PWHL looking to expand from six to eight teams as early as the 2025-26 season, Pittsburgh getting a team could happen sooner rather than later.
A big question, though, is what will a team be called? I like the idea of the Pittsburgh Pennies -- it'd honor the city's first-ever women's hockey team from the 1970s with the same name, it'd allow them to also be called the "Pens," and it's just something that's unique.
Coming up with a name is a challenging endeavor. When the PWHL was formed rather quickly before its inaugural season, the league opted to not rush and go without team names for a year before coming up with the Boston Fleet, New York Sirens, Minnesota Frost, Ottawa Charge, Toronto Sceptres and Montreal Victoire. The Utah Hockey Club is following a similar path, going without a "real" name for a year in order to take the time to come up with something good.
Coming up with a good name right on the spot is an impossible task, but I asked Penguins players to do it anyway for fun in this Survey Says. We'll put their ideas firmly in the "maybe" pile.
Alex Nedeljkovic: I'm bad at making stuff up but what's coming to my head is bridges. They're gold. I was going to say the Golden Arches but now I'm thinking that's McDonald's.
Kris Letang: The Bumblebees.
Rickard Rakell: Pittsburgh Deers. There's a lot of deers here.
Sidney Crosby: Oh! What about the Power? That was the arena football team. I like that.
Cody Glass: I would say the Steel, but the Steelers are already here.
Noel Acciari: I think the Prime, like it sounds like Primanti's.
Michael Bunting: Something with Heinz. We have Steel for the Steelers, and Heinz started here. Something to do with that. Ketchup, mustard, I don't know.
Joel Blomqvist: It would need something to do with steel. Yeah, the Steelheads.
Bryan Rust: Something to do with the rivers ... Maybe like, the Three River Queens.
Phil Tomasino: It's the Steel City, right? So maybe the Pittsburgh Steel, Steel HC.
Jesse Puljujarvi: Pittsburgh ... Pittsburgh ... Pittsburgh ... Pittsburgh ... Pittsburgh ... Pittsburgh Cats (laughs hysterically).
Kevin Hayes: Pittsburgh has the Steelers, but Pittsburgh Steel. Like, Steel HC.
Matt Nieto: Maybe, like, the Tinkerbells. I have no idea! That's the first thing that came to mind.
Matt Grzelcyk: Honestly, I don't even have a guess right now. I haven't been here long enough to know the ins and outs of the city.
Anthony Beauvillier: What's a female penguin, or other kind of penguin? Maybe like the Puffins? Something like that.
P.O Joseph: Oh wow, Heinz maybe? The Heinz.
Valtteri Puustinen: Penguins in Finnish is Pingviinit. Maybe that! You have the Penguins and Pingviinit.
Blake Lizotte: The Sparrows. I don't know why, that's just what came to mind.
Ryan Shea: Thinking of other women's teams, I don't want to reuse names like, the Boston Pride. The first things that come to mind are like, bridges, steel. You could shorten the Steelers and be the Pittsburgh Steel, that sounds good and doesn't take away from the Steelers.
Ryan Graves: Something with the rivers ... The River Monsters.
Tristan Jarry: What's a baby Penguin called? A chick? The Pittsburgh Chicks.
Marcus Pettersson: The Bridges.
Drew O'Connor: The Monongahelas. Isn't that the river? Buccos would be a cool name, but they can't really do that because the Pirates go by that.
Jack St. Ivany: It's the City of Steel, but the Steelers use that. Something with the rivers? Pittsburgh Rivers.
Erik Karlsson: The Rivers. They can hire me, if they want. I can come up with a name for a couple hundred grand.
Want to participate in our comments?
Want an ad-free experience?
Become a member, and enjoy premium benefits! Make your voice heard on the Steelers, Penguins and Pirates, and hear right back from tens of thousands of fellow Pittsburgh sports fans worldwide! Plus, access all our premium content, including Dejan Kovacevic columns, Friday Insider, daily Live Qs with the staff, more! And yeah, that's right, no ads at all!
We’d love to have you!