The Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) has signed a multi-year agreement with Bauer that will make the hockey equipment and apparel brand the league’s first official jersey partner. The agreement will begin with the 2024-25 season.
Under the partnership, Bauer will be the exclusive supplier of the official and replica jerseys for the league. It will also introduce new uniform designs for the league’s six teams next season.
The brand was already an official equipment supplier of the league, offering sticks, skates and protective gear. It has also been working with PWHL players on the design of the women’s hockey gear. With the new deal, Bauer will offer a new base layer, shoulder pads and pants designed specifically for women and validated by PWHL players.
“In addition to becoming our first official jersey partner, the PWHL alliance with Bauer includes their branding on our jerseys and a collaborative effort on content creation, both of which present great opportunities to further elevate our league and our players,” PWHL SVP of hockey operations Jayna Hefford tells MiC.
Hefford says that a portion of replica jersey sales will help create and support programs designed to increase the PWHL’s fan base. “We are also looking forward to leaning into Bauer’s ‘Grow the Game’ initiative, which will help make our league and our sport more accessible to girls and their families,” she says.
Launched in 2012, the “Grow the Game” initiative aims to boost hockey involvement among families who are not currently involved in the sport by offering them introductory and affordable programs. The new deal also builds on Bauer’s “Everything for the Girls” campaign, which promotes a Girls Hockey Bill of Rights that the brand created in 2022 to make the sport more accessible. The declaration outlines basic steps required to promote equality in hockey.
“The response from our fans to this announcement underscores Bauer’s longstanding legacy in the hockey community. Combining that with their investment in growing women’s hockey, this partnership is the perfect alignment for us,” Hefford says.
