Air Canada and Sailun Tire are Presenting Partners, with Youth Skills Clinic, and All-Star Reception at Hockey Hall of Fame Among Pre-Game Highlights
BOSTON, MA – (January 27, 2023) The Premier Hockey Federation (PHF) has a full lineup of events and partners heading into this weekend’s All-Star festivities, headlined by Sunday’s game at Mattamy Athletic Centre that will feature 45 of the league’s top talents competing with national pride on the line.
“We are looking forward to a weekend-long celebration of women’s hockey where we’ll honor the past, make the moment of today, and inspire the future through our efforts,” said Reagan Carey, PHF Commissioner. “There is no better place to showcase our athletes and our partners than here in Toronto. It will be a special weekend for all.”
Here’s a rundown of what’s in store on the PHF All-Star schedule this weekend followed by some notable event highlights:
- Friday night’s NHL game between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Ottawa Senators will be attended by select PHF All-Stars.
- Select PHF All-Stars will meet members of the Leaside Girls Hockey House League during their Saturday morning practice at 9:00 a.m. ET at Mattamy Athletic Centre.
- The PHF will host a Youth Hockey Clinic with select All-Stars and staff joined by the North York Storm U13 Girls on Saturday morning at 10:00 a.m. ET at Mattamy Athletic Centre.
- PHF All-Star Reception at the Hockey Hall of Fame, Saturday night at 6:30 p.m. ET, features players, guest All-Star coaches, partners, contributors, team and league executives to celebrate the PHF’s new era and All-Star weekend.
- PHF Team USA hits the ice for the first time at Mattamy Athletic Centre for practice Sunday morning at 10:00 a.m. ET, followed by PHF Team Canada at 10:40 a.m. ET, and PHF Team World at 11:20 a.m. ET.
- The 2023 PHF All-Star Game begins Sunday night at 7:00 p.m. ET at Mattamy Athletic Centre with the first 4-on-4 round-robin game featuring PHF Team USA vs Canada. The winner will take on Team World in Game 2, followed by Game 3 between Team World and the loser of Game 1. The top two teams will advance to the championship game.
- Post-Game Autograph Session for fans in the east concourse at Mattamy Athletic Centre.
Air Canada and Sailun Tire are presenting partners of PHF All-Star weekend. Among their activations, Air Canada will provide fan giveaways on Sunday night and in-game opportunities for fans to win round-trip flights. The Scarborough Sharks U13BB and U18BB teams will attend the game, courtesy of Sailun Tire, as winners of the PHF All-Star Experience contest. Additional weekend partners include Athleta, Canadian Tire, Cleveland Clinic, BladeTech Hockey, Warrior, and Blue Blazer Travel.
2023 All-Star jerseys were designed by HEARTLENT Group, the PHF’s agency of record. Led by Elliot Gerard, Founder and CCO, the group created a stylish look that brings the All-Star logo to life on the unform and individually represents all three teams. PHF Team USA’s theme is blue with a uniform that includes elements of the color taken from the PHF’s U.S. teams along with a star symbol pulled from the All-Star logo. PHF Team Canada is red, with both of the PHF’s Canadian teams represented in the color and the country’s maple leaf symbol throughout. PHF Team World will wear a white with a gold color that represents historic Maple Leaf Gardens where the game will be played, and a compass symbol pulled from the logo. Graphics that represent bricks can also be found on the uniforms as another ode to Maple Leaf Gardens and a tribute to the overarching ‘New Foundation’ theme of the league’s first All-Star weekend in Canada.
The global game will be on full display with a player pool representing Canada, the United States, and six different countries on the international squad. National pride extends to the All-Star coaching staffs that feature seven Olympians who have represented their countries at the highest level. This includes Americans Kacey Bellamy and Colleen Coyne, Canada’s Kim St-Pierre and Geraldine Heaney, plus Sweden’s Erika Holst and Finland’s Venla Hovi for Team World. Brianne McLaughlin-Bittle also represents the U.S. and will serve as a goaltending coach for all teams. In partnership with the IIHF, two international officials will join the PHF for this game including Latvian referee Agnese Karklina and Finnish linesperson Tiina Elina Saarimaeki.
Sunday’s game will be available to the largest broadcast audience of the PHF season, airing live across the United States on ESPN2 and across Canada on TSN, TSN.ca, and the TSN app beginning at 7:00 p.m. ET. Steve Goldstein will have the call with analyst Alexis Pearson. Ashley Docking will report live from rink side.
Fans can also keep track of the action all weekend long on social media and enjoy unique content posted by special guest social media correspondent Reagan Rust, a PHF defender for the Metropolitan Riveters and one of the league’s top social influencers, who has been invited to provide followers with a behind the scenes look at the All-Star festivities. The PHF has also brought in game presentation expertise from industry veteran Peter Sorckoff who has experience with multiple NHL teams. PHF broadcast veteran Erica Ayala will help pump up the crowd at Mattamy Athletic Centre as in-game host.
Tickets are still available for Sunday’s game and can be purchased online via TicketMaster for $29.50 including taxes and processing fees.
About the Premier Hockey Federation
The PHF is the home of professional women’s hockey in North America. Established in 2015 as the National Women’s Hockey League, the NWHL rebranded to become the PHF in 2021 and provide opportunities for elite athletes to earn a living playing the game they love while fueling the continued growth of the sport. The league is made up of the Boston Pride, Buffalo Beauts, Connecticut Whale, Metropolitan Riveters, Minnesota Whitecaps, Montreal Force, and the Toronto Six who all compete annually for the Isobel Cup. As part of a two-year agreement with ESPN, live coverage of the 2022-23 and 2023-24 PHF seasons is available exclusively on ESPN+ in the United States, and provides international rights for games which includes TSN in Canada. For more information visit premierhockeyfederation.com.
