The professional ice hockey league in North America, the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) has inked an exclusive licencing deal with Upper Deck, the Californian trading card company.
Upper Deck will be the PWHL’s first exclusive licence holder for the production of both physical and digital trading cards.
In honour of International Women’s Day and to launch the licence, Upper Deck also announced that it will be giving fans a complimentary digital trading card.
McKenzie Young, Marketing Lead at Upper Deck, said, “This collaboration represents a shared commitment to advancing hockey and providing opportunities for all athletes to excel on and off the ice. We’re enthusiastic about championing the growth of women’s hockey and inspiring the next generation of both athletes and collectors.”
Amy Scheer, Senior Vice President of business operations for PWHL, commented, “Upper Deck’s unparalleled expertise in sports collectibles makes them an ideal partner as we continue to build our community. Together, we will elevate the visibility of the PWHL, inspiring fans around the world to embrace the passion of our game and connect with stars of our league.”
Additionally, Upper Deck and the National Hockey League (NHL) have a long-term trading card licencing agreement in effect.
The PWHL regular season, which kicked off on January 1 and runs through May 5, will have 72 games before the playoffs.
Three US teams—Boston, Minneapolis-St. Paul, and the New York City region—and three Canadian teams—Montreal, Toronto, and Ottawa—are represented in the league.
For its first season, the league was able to assemble several sponsors, such as Rogers Communications, CCM Hockey, and Air Canada.
In addition, the PWHL also broke the previous record for attendance at a professional women’s hockey game as 8,318 people showed up for the opening game between Ottawa and Montreal at The Arena at TD Place. The prior record was set by 7,765 people for the championship match between Brynäs and Luleå in the 2021–22 Svenska Damhockeyligan.