Four new expansion franchises were introduced by the Professional Women’s Hockey League on Tuesday featuring the San Jose Sea Lions as part of the lineup scheduled to start playing in the 2026-27 season.
The league revealed the team’s brand identity, featuring a circular logo of a sea lion’s head and torso emerging from waves in a color scheme of blue and sunset orange.
According to the organization, the moniker honors the San Francisco Sea Lions, a squad from the 1946 West Coast Negro Baseball Association that featured trailblazer Toni Stone, who became the initial female participant to regularly compete in a major men’s professional sports circuit.
Women-led design teams developed the branding with creative agency collaboration from Doubleday & Cartwright, according to league announcements. The organization also unveiled identities for expansion peers Detroit Clutch, Hamilton Havoc, and Vegas Vanguards.
“I love the brand. I think the color combination of blue, orange, and white, and the navy blue in the logo is great. I also love that the sea lion is in the shape of a wave; that’s really clever,” said Rory Guilday, San Jose Sea Lions defender.
“The first game is going to be so cool. Being in a new market and having new fans that are extremely excited about this season, it’s going to be electric in the building. Seeing a lot of orange will be different and a lot of fun, so I’m very excited,” Guilday said.
The branding draws direct inspiration from the Pacific coast and the mammals populating Bay Area waters. Amy Scheer, PWHL executive vice president of business operations, explained the geographical connection.
“As we developed California’s first PWHL team, it was important to create a brand that would resonate across San Jose and the many distinct communities that make up the Bay Area,” Scheer said.
The expansion franchises will wear jerseys featuring city names across the front for the upcoming campaign because brand assets were finalized after uniform orders were placed.
The league expanded from eight to 12 teams following market selections announced in May 2026. The growth doubles the organization’s size since its January 1, 2024 launch.
Detroit’s identity nods to the automotive industry and high-pressure execution through a black and white circular wheel logo. Vegas features a Mojave Desert kit fox with ‘V’ ears in cactus green, desert gold, and navy. Hamilton pairs industrial steel mills with the Niagara Escarpment and a peregrine falcon emblem.
The San Jose Sea Lions host their inaugural home opener against the Minnesota Frost on Saturday, December 5, 2026, at 4 p.m. PT at SAP Center. Ticketmaster handles admission packages for the opening weekend running December 5-6.
