Montreal's new PHF women's hockey franchise named the Force

Montreal's new Premier Hockey Federation women's hockey franchise will be named the Force.

The Montreal Force will wear maroon, white and black, and their jerseys will feature a letter F logo styled like Quebec's fleur-de-lys.

Force president Kevin Raphael said in a statement that the franchise wanted a powerful name that distinguished the team in the women's hockey market.

The Force will play home games across Quebec in the 2022-23 season, with seven cities targeted as potential hosts: Montreal, Gatineau, Quebec City, Rimouski, Rivière-du-Loup, Saint-Jérôme, and Sept-Îles.

The team will be based at the Verdun Auditorium in Montreal.

Montreal is the seventh team in the PHF, which has five teams based in the U.S. The Toronto Six is the league's only other Canadian franchise.

The PHF will announce their 2022-23 schedule in early September.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 30, 2022.