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![\"MIKAELA](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/4694836_web1_261104-Ember-FC-00021.jpg\")
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MIKAELA MACKENZIE \/ FREE PRESS<\/p>\n
Winnipeg Ember FC co-founders Rob Gale and Desiree Scott announced the city\u2019s Northern Super League club name and logo Wednesday at the Forks. The team is hosting open tryouts this weekend at the Winnipeg Soccer Federation Soccer South facility.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere (were) many, many versions and variations of different names that we came on, but this was the one that landed, that felt like home, that speaks to the community here in Winnipeg,\u201d said Ember FC co-founder Desiree Scott.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe talk about the warmth of the people. That\u2019s what makes Winnipeg. It\u2019s the warmth, and Ember is about that light and that never-give-up attitude. And I think this all kind of ties in beautifully together.\u201d<\/p>\n
Inspired by the colour of the prairie sky at dawn and dusk, Ember FC\u2019s colour scheme includes Midnight Dusk, Violet Haze, Destroyer Pink, Sunset Blush and Ember Glow.<\/p>\n
There was a push from local supporters to name the club the \u201cWinnipeg Destroyers\u201d as an homage to the nickname Scott so proudly carried throughout her decorated, nearly 20-year playing career that included an Olympic gold in 2020.<\/p>\n
Workshopped in conjunction with Up House Marketing, five names were stress-tested through a focus group \u2014 three of which were not revealed \u2014 before settling on the Ember.<\/p>\n
Destroyers was among the names that were considered, but Scott humbly pushed back on that idea.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe always wanted to consider that. I am so humbled by the response of people wanting that to be the team name,\u201d Scott said. \u201cBut I want this to be bigger than me. I want it to be for the next generation. So there\u2019s some subtlety to the Destroyer, but the actual name, we got to think bigger.\u201d<\/p>\n
The NSL\u2019s seventh club will go by the tagline \u201cLet Them Howl.\u201d<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t MIKAELA MACKENZIE \/ FREE PRESS<\/p>\n The Winnipeg Ember FC logo was inspired by the colour of the prairie sky at dawn and dusk and is an homage to trailblazer Nellie McClung\u2019s motto: \u2018get the thing done and let them howl.\u2019<\/p>\n The Ember crest features a \u201csun dog,\u201d which is an ode to Manitoban trailblazer Nellie McClung\u2019s motto. McClung led a movement that first gave women in Manitoba the right to vote in 1916 and advised others to, \u201cNever retract, never explain, never apologize; get the thing done and let them howl.\u201d<\/p>\n A full uniform kit will be unveiled at a later date.<\/p>\n Wednesday\u2019s announcement was the latest in a busy five-month stretch since the expansion team was awarded to Winnipeg in July, including the hiring of the club\u2019s first president, Dayna Spiring, and a confirmation in September that Winnipeg\u2019s side would play out of the Ralph Cantafio Soccer Complex. The field received $8.5 million in financial backing from the NSL and all three levels of government to upgrade the Fort Garry complex into a 5,000-seat purpose-built modular stadium \u2014 one of two in the NSL \u2014 in time for the 2027 season.<\/p>\n It doesn\u2019t stop there. While season tickets continue to sell, the Ember are set to host open tryouts this weekend at the Winnipeg Soccer Federation Soccer South facility, which has a confirmed attendance of 110 local and international players.<\/p>\n \u201cWe have a Pakistani international coming in. We have an Ecuadorian international, a Paraguayan international, a Brazilian, a Filipino international, and they\u2019re all coming to open tryouts,\u201d said Ember co-founder Rob Gale.<\/p>\n \u201cNow you amplify that by 221 football nations worldwide; you can imagine the size of the task, but quality first and foremost. Quality people, quality players to represent our province and our city the right way.\u201d<\/p>\n The NSL will not run an expansion draft to supplement Winnipeg\u2019s roster. Gale and Scott have been working the phones with agents across the globe to piece together their inaugural team.<\/p>\n \u201cRob is working his due diligence. I swear, his phone dies by 10 a.m. with all the phone calls that he\u2019s making to find players,\u201d said Scott. \u201cObviously, myself being connected, he\u2019s one of the top-class coaches in this country, but also coached in the U.S., so we all have our hands kind of in the soccer world.\u201d<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t MIKAELA MACKENZIE \/ FREE PRESS<\/p>\n Winnipeg Ember President Dayna Spiring at the launch of the city\u2019s Northern Super League team name and logo announcement on Wednesday.<\/p>\n \n\t\tWinnipeg Free Press | Newsletter\n\t<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t NSL clubs are permitted to carry between 20 to 25 players, with a maximum of eight international players. Being an expansion franchise, Winnipeg is permitted to roster up to 10 international players, and an additional U20 player should it choose.<\/p>\n \u201cThe beauty of this team is the NSL has aimed to be a top-five women\u2019s league in the world. The budget that\u2019s allowed with that, the starting salaries are already top-five in the world for women, so the level of player that you\u2019re talking to is really elevated,\u201d Gale said.<\/p>\n \u201cWe also want to make sure that we\u2019re developing local talent and showcasing that. So if they\u2019re going to be good enough, we don\u2019t care where they\u2019re from. We\u2019d love it if they\u2019re from here. They\u2019ll have opportunity if they\u2019re from here. But we feel we\u2019re going to be uniquely placed to be competitive right (off) the bat, and that goes from my selection of the coaching staff and all the defectors behind the scenes.\u201d<\/p>\n Gale has already cobbled together a coaching staff, but said he will not name names until December. That is among the upcoming announcements that will continue a momentous year for Winnipeg sports.<\/p>\n winnipegfreepress.com\/joshuafreysam<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t Joshua Frey-Sam Josh Frey-Sam reports on sports and business at the Free Press. Josh got his start at the paper in 2022, just weeks after graduating from the Creative Communications program at Red River College. He reports primarily on amateur teams and athletes in sports. Read more about Josh<\/a>.<\/p>\n Every piece of reporting Josh produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print \u2014 part of the Free Press\u2018s tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press\u2019s history and mandate<\/a>, and learn how our newsroom operates<\/a>.<\/p>\n Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber<\/a>.<\/p>\n Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.<\/p>\n \t\t
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