In the absence of formal team nicknames, PWHL fans found their own combined identities in some fun and creative ways, including Trash Pandas, Pizza Rats, and the Red Scarf Union.

The discussion of PWHL team names has been a hot topic all season. Teams went with generic league based monikers this season known simply as PWHL Boston, PWHL Minnesota, PWHL Montreal, PWHL New York, PWHL Ottawa, and PWHL Toronto. 

We also saw a list of names submitted for trademark in October - Boston Wicked, Minnesota Superior, Montreal Echo, New York Sound, Ottawa Alert, and Toronto Torch.

While no names have been formally announced and the league says they'll officially announce team nicknames and logos in August, many fan groups across the PWHL have already adopted unofficial nicknames, if not for the team themselves, for their groups.

Three of the most popular include the Toronto Trash Pandas, New York Pizza Rats, and Ottawa's Red Scarf Union.

The names have all come from online fan groups. The New York Pizza Rats became a common nickname during games on the YouTube steams. Originally, the Pizza Rat was a Pizza Rat was a meme stemming from a viral video posted in 2015 showing a rat carrying a slice of pizza down the steps to a subway station in Manhattan. 

In 2018, the Staten Island Yankees, a single-A affiliate of MLB's New York Yankees temporarily re-branded as the Staten Island Pizza Rats for a season. It's a name that is gone, but as the Pizza Rats website says, "not forgotten."

Even players on PWHL New York embraced the nickname with Jaime Bourbonnais wearing a Pizza Rats jersey, and Lindsey Post having a pizza holding rat painted onto her goalie mask.

The Trash Pandas is a reference to the seemingly ever-present population of racoons in Toronto, that similar to New York's rats, can be seen carrying away items, invading stores, and interacting with residents.

While some people mock the names, like the Pizza Rats, the Trash Pandas are also a real professional sports nickname. The Rocket City Trash Pandas who play in Madison, Alabama, are a Double-A baseball team and affiliate of the Los Angeles Angels of MLB.

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In Ottawa, the Red Scarf Union started as a fan section for the Ottawa Senators, but has gained ground, and perhaps usurped that excitement among PWHL Ottawa fans.

It seems highly unlikely the league would ever adopt these names, but in the absence of official team monikers, PWHL fans found their own identities and had a little fun with the naming process.