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Alex Sinatra named Executive Director of the Players’ Association of the PHF

Sinatra succeeds Packer as head of the PA

Today, the Players’ Association of the Premier Hockey Federation announced that Alex Sinatra will be its new Executive Director. ESPN’s Kristen Shilton first reported that Sinatra would be succeeding Anya Packer, the current general manager of the Metropolitan Riveters, on Dec. 30.

Sinatra is an attorney and has been an in-house counsel for a pro sports team, a multinational company, and various startups. She’s a contributor to USA TODAY Sports Media Group’s NFL Wire sites and is the CEO and founder of Your Potential for Everything, a strategic sports consulting firm. She holds a JD from Texas A&M University School of Law and a BBA in marketing from Texas A&M University.

“I am honored to be selected by the players of the PHF to serve as their Executive Director of the Players’ Association,” Sinatra said in the PA’s release. “The grit, determination, and work ethic of these players is inspiring. They are champions on and off the ice and I couldn’t be more proud to serve them. We want to change the sport of hockey for the better and continue to create opportunities for both current and future players.”

Sinatra succeeds Packer and Erika Lawler, the first head of the league’s players’ association. Per the Ice Garden’s Dan Rice, the players asked the league for an extension on naming a new head of the PA and were granted one by the league. That extension had a deadline of Jan. 1, 2022.

With its new Executive Director in place, we perhaps have more transparency about the makeup of the Players’ Association than ever before. Prior to announcing Sinatra, the PA announced the player reps from all six PHF teams. The reps are a mix of veterans and relative newcomers to the league which includes a mix of veterans and relative newcomers to the league. It’s worth noting that Kaleigh Fratkin — one of the Pride’s reps — was one of the first eight player reps in the 2015-16 season when she was with the Connecticut Whale.

Player Reps

  • Boston Pride: Kaleigh Fratkin, Mallory Souliotis
  • Buffalo Beauts: Dominique Kremer, Autumn MacDougall
  • Connecticut Whale: Kaycie Anderson, Rebecca Morse
  • Metropolitan Riveters: Theresa Knutson, Allie Olnowich
  • Minnesota Whitecaps: Maddie Rowe, Allie Thunstrom
  • Toronto Six: Shiann Darkangelo, Emma Woods/

It may have taken longer to replace Packer than most expected, but it looks like the players found a uniquely qualified Executive Director in Sinatra. Needless to say, having a PA head in place is essential for any and all current and future business negotiations with the league, including a recent announcement of Upper Deck trading cards coming in the 2022-23 season. Not to mention the ongoing obstacles of playing hockey during a global pandemic.

To state the obvious, having a fully-functioning players’ association is essential.

How Sinatra makes her mark on the league will be something to keep a close eye on over the coming months. Will she be as visible on social media as her predecessor? What will her first “win” look like and what issues are most vital for the PHF’s current players and PA reps. We’ll soon find out.

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