Boston Fleet

Last updated

Boston Fleet
BostonFleet.png
City Boston, Massachusetts
League PWHL
FoundedAugust 29, 2023 (2023-08-29)
Home arena Tsongas Center at UMass Lowell
ColorsForest green, aqua, navy and teal
    
Owner(s) Mark Walter Group
General manager Danielle Marmer
Head coach Courtney Kessel
Captain Hilary Knight
Website boston.thepwhl.com
Hockey current event.svg Current season

The Boston Fleet are a professional ice hockey team based in Lowell, Massachusetts. They are one of the six charter franchises of the Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL). The Fleet host games at Tsongas Center.

Contents

History

Founding and inaugural season

On August 29, 2023, it was announced that one of the PWHL's first six franchises would be located in Boston. [1] [2] This ensured the continuation of professional women's hockey in the area after the folding of the Boston Pride and the Premier Hockey Federation earlier that summer; the Pride had been that league's most successful franchise, winning three Isobel Cup championships. [3] Danielle Marmer, a former scout and player development assistant for the National Hockey League's Boston Bruins, was named PWHL Boston's inaugural general manager. [4] [5] On September 15, Boston University women's team associate head coach Courtney Kessel was announced as the team's first head coach. [6]

The team's first three player signings were United States national team players Hilary Knight, Aerin Frankel, and Megan Keller, all signed to three-year deals. [7] [8] Boston's first selection in the 2023 PWHL Draft, held on September 18, was Swiss forward Alina Müller, taken third overall. [9]

In November, it was revealed that the team's colors would be green, gray, and white. [10] It was also revealed that the team would host home games at the Tsongas Center in Lowell. [11]

Boston's Aerin Frankel makes a save in 2024. 240225 MN Boston JohnMc060 (53557384585).jpg
Boston's Aerin Frankel makes a save in 2024.

Ahead of the start of the inaugural 2024 season, former Boston Bruins captain Patrice Bergeron introduced Knight as Boston's captain; Keller and Jamie Lee Rattray were introduced as alternate captains. [12] The team hosted its inaugural game against Minnesota Frost on January 3, 2024. [13] The team's first ever goal was scored by Theresa Schafzahl, 7:59 into the 2nd period. [14] Minnesota ultimately won the game by a score of 3–2. [15] Boston's first victory came in a 3–2 overtime decision against Montreal Victoire on January 13. [16] Boston went on to finish third in the league standings, clinching a playoff spot in their final regular season game. [17]

In the first round of the playoffs, Boston faced Montreal. Boston went on to defeat Montreal in three straight games, with all three victories coming in overtime. [18] Boston advanced to the championship series, where they faced Minnesota. Goaltender Aerin Frankel led the playoffs in saves. [19] However, Boston lost a close five-game series, with Minnesota clinching the Walter Cup championship in Lowell on May 29. [20]

Team identity

Inaugural season logo for PWHL Boston. Boston PWHL.jpg
Inaugural season logo for PWHL Boston.

Boston operated without unique branding for the league's inaugural season, like all charter franchises. The team was known as PWHL Boston and wore a league-wide jersey template that featured the city's name diagonally on the front. [21] The team did have its own colour scheme, featuring green and black. In October 2023, the league registered a trademark for the name Boston Wicked, which proved unpopular with fans when leaked. [22] [23] In September 2024, the team was instead given the name Fleet, in reference to Boston's maritime tradition, with a logo featuring a stylized letter 'B' doubling as an anchor. [23] [24] The team retained its color scheme, adding additional shades of green. The Hockey News reported that other names in contention for Boston, before settling on Fleet, included Emeralds and Blitz. [25]

Players and personnel

Current roster

As of May 4, 2024 [26] [27] [28]
No. Nat Player Pos S/G AgeAcquiredBirthplace
8 Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Lexie Adzija F L242024 St. Thomas, Ontario
55 Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Kelly Babstock F R322024 Mississauga, Ontario
20 Flag of the United States.svg Hannah Brandt F R302023 Vadnais Heights, Minnesota
2 Flag of the United States.svg Emily Brown D L252023 Blaine, Minnesota
18 Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Abby Cook D R262024 Kelowna, British Columbia
22 Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Jessica DiGirolamo D L252023 Mississauga, Ontario
31 Flag of the United States.svg Aerin Frankel G L252023 New York City, New York
13 Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Kaleigh Fratkin D R322023 Burnaby, British Columbia
36 Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Loren Gabel F L272023 Kitchener, Ontario
17 Flag of the United States.svg Taylor Girard   Injury icon 2.svg F L262023 Macomb, Michigan
97 Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Jess Healey D L282023 Edmonton, Alberta
5 Flag of the United States.svg Megan Keller  ( A ) D L282023 Farmington, Michigan
21 Flag of the United States.svg Hilary Knight  ( C ) F R352023 Palo Alto, California
77 Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Nicole Kosta F R312023 Mississauga, Ontario
35 Flag of the United States.svg Cami Kronish G L242023 New York City, New York
19 Flag of the United States.svg Gigi Marvin F R372023 Bemidji, Minnesota
7 Flag of the United States.svg Sidney Morin D R292023 Minnetonka, Minnesota
11 Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg Alina Müller F L262023 Lengnau, Switzerland
16 Flag of the United States.svg Amanda Pelkey F R312023 Montpelier, Vermont
47 Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Jamie Lee Rattray  ( A ) F L322023 Kanata, Ontario
37 Flag of Austria.svg Theresa Schafzahl F L242023 Weiz, Austria
9 Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Sophie Shirley F R252023 Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
30 Flag of Sweden.svg Emma Söderberg G L262023 Ornskoldsvik, Sweden
88 Flag of Finland.svg Susanna Tapani F L312024 Laitila, Finland
12 Flag of the United States.svg Taylor Wenczkowski F R272023 Rochester, New Hampshire

Reserves

As of May 4, 2024 [26] [27] [28]
No. Nat Player Pos S/G AgeAcquiredBirthplace
14 Flag of the United States.svg Caitrin Lonergan F R272024 Roslindale, Massachusetts

Team captains

Head coaches

First-round draft picks

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hilary Knight (ice hockey)</span> American ice hockey player (born 1989)

Hilary Atwood Knight is an American ice hockey forward and captain of the Boston Fleet of the Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL). She is also a member of the United States women's national ice hockey team. She previously played for the Les Canadiennes de Montréal of the CWHL and the Boston Pride of the NWHL, with whom she won the inaugural Isobel Cup.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alina Müller</span> Swiss ice hockey player

Alina Müller is a Swiss ice hockey forward for the Boston Fleet of the Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL) and a member of the Switzerland women's national ice hockey team. She played college ice hockey at Northeastern. At the age of 15, she became the youngest ice hockey player ever to win an Olympic medal, scoring the game-winning goal for Switzerland in the bronze medal game at the 2014 Winter Olympics.

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The 2023–24 PWHL Boston season was the team's inaugural season as a member of the newly created Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL). They played their home games at the Tsongas Center in Lowell, Massachusetts.

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The 2023–24 PWHL Ottawa season was the team's inaugural season as a member of the newly created Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL). They played their home games at TD Place Arena in Ottawa.

The 2023–24 PWHL Toronto season was the team's inaugural season as a member of the newly created Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL). They played the majority of their home games at the Mattamy Athletic Centre in Toronto, hosting one game at Scotiabank Arena and their playoff games at Coca-Cola Coliseum.

References

  1. ↑ Wyshynski, Greg (August 29, 2023). "Six inaugural franchises revealed for new PWHL". ESPN . Archived from the original on September 1, 2023. Retrieved September 5, 2023.
  2. ↑ Dachman, Jason (January 30, 2024). "Inside the Whirlwind Launch of the Professional Women's Hockey League's Broadcast Operations". sportsvideo.org. Sports Video Group. Archived from the original on February 3, 2024. Retrieved May 31, 2024.
  3. ↑ Wyshynski, Greg (June 29, 2023). "Sources: Premier Hockey Federation sale could unite women's hockey". ESPN . Archived from the original on June 30, 2023. Retrieved June 30, 2023.
  4. ↑ "PWHL names six general managers as teams begin roster construction". Sportsnet . Canadian Press. September 1, 2023. Archived from the original on September 5, 2023. Retrieved September 5, 2023.
  5. ↑ "Danielle Marmer, Bruins scouting assistant, named GM of Boston's PWHL team". WBZ News. CBS Interactive Inc. September 4, 2023. Archived from the original on December 9, 2023. Retrieved September 6, 2023.
  6. ↑ "Ryan, MacLeod headline PWHL coaches". Sportsnet. Canadian Press. September 15, 2023. Archived from the original on September 20, 2023. Retrieved September 15, 2023.
  7. ↑ Kennedy, Ian (September 7, 2023). "Knight, Frankel, Keller Sign With PWHL's Boston". The Hockey News. Brantford, Ontario. Archived from the original on November 19, 2023. Retrieved September 7, 2023.
  8. ↑ Healy, Emma (September 7, 2023). "Boston's PWHL team signs Aerin Frankel, Megan Keller, and Hilary Knight to free agent contracts". Boston Globe . Archived from the original on September 7, 2023. Retrieved September 7, 2023.
  9. ↑ Kennedy, Ian (September 18, 2023). "Alina Muller Picked Third Overall By PWHL Boston". The Hockey News . Archived from the original on November 3, 2023. Retrieved September 19, 2023.
  10. ↑ Kennedy, Ian (November 23, 2023). "PWHL Releases Jersey Designs". The Hockey News. Brantford, Ontario. Archived from the original on November 14, 2023. Retrieved November 14, 2023.
  11. ↑ Ryan, Conor (January 2, 2024). "Here's everything you need to know about Boston's new professional hockey team". Boston.com . Archived from the original on January 4, 2024. Retrieved January 5, 2024.
  12. ↑ Detwiler, Christopher (January 2, 2024). "Bergeron welcomes Hilary Knight as inaugural team captain for PWHL Boston". nhl.com . National Hockey League. Archived from the original on January 3, 2024. Retrieved January 5, 2024.
  13. ↑ Porter, Matt (January 4, 2024). "'This has never been done before': Behind the scenes at the PWHL's triumphant Boston debut". Boston Globe. Archived from the original on January 5, 2024. Retrieved January 5, 2024.
  14. ↑ "No. 1 overall pick Heise leads the way as Minnesota tops Boston in PWHL debut for both teams". CBC Sports . Associated Press. January 3, 2024. Archived from the original on January 4, 2024. Retrieved January 5, 2024.
  15. ↑ Cornetta, Kat (January 4, 2024). "A new team is off and skating, but first game for PWHL Boston doesn't go quite as planned". Boston Globe. Archived from the original on January 5, 2024. Retrieved January 5, 2024.
  16. ↑ Rainbird, Daniel (January 13, 2024). "Boston's Pelkey spoils Montreal's PWHL home opener in OT after Poulin's disallowed goal". CBC Sports. The Canadian Press. Archived from the original on January 14, 2024. Retrieved January 14, 2024.
  17. ↑ Crowley, Tim (May 4, 2024). "PWHL Boston Wrap: Boston Clinches Playoff Spot In Regular-Season Finale". NESN . Archived from the original on May 10, 2024. Retrieved June 9, 2024.
  18. ↑ "Boston knocks Montreal out of playoffs in PWHL semifinal". Montreal Gazette . May 15, 2024. Archived from the original on May 15, 2024. Retrieved May 15, 2024.
  19. ↑ Salvian, Hailey. "How PWHL Boston's 'small but mighty' goalie is fueling their surprising playoff run". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331. Archived from the original on May 21, 2024. Retrieved May 21, 2024.
  20. ↑ Cox, Peter (May 30, 2024). "Minnesota Frost fans cheer on the team in Boston and at home as they win inaugural Walter Cup". MPR News. St. Paul: Minnesota Public Radio. Archived from the original on May 30, 2024. Retrieved May 31, 2024.
  21. ↑ Ibrahim, Abdulhamid (January 2, 2024). "PWHL sorting out missing pieces like team names and logos as it goes along" . The Globe and Mail . Archived from the original on January 18, 2024. Retrieved January 18, 2024. However there are some missing pieces, such as names and logos for the six teams. "I don't, I don't," PWHL advisory board member Stan Kasten said Monday on whether he has a timeline for those key elements to be included.
  22. ↑ Salvian, Hailey (October 26, 2023). "Potential names for PWHL's original 6 franchises revealed" . The Athletic . Archived from the original on October 31, 2023. Retrieved October 26, 2023.
  23. 1 2 Bustillos, Esteban (September 9, 2024). "PWHL Boston finally gets a name: the Fleet". GBH . Archived from the original on September 9, 2024. Retrieved October 8, 2024.
  24. ↑ Wawrow, John (September 9, 2024). "PWHL reveals names, logos for all 6 franchises ahead of second season". CBC Sports . The Associated Press. Archived from the original on September 10, 2024. Retrieved October 8, 2024.
  25. ↑ Kennedy, Ian (September 9, 2024). "These Were The Final Four Names In Contention For Each Of The PWHL's Six Teams". The Hockey News . Archived from the original on September 9, 2024. Retrieved October 8, 2024.
  26. 1 2 Donkin, Karissa (December 12, 2023). "PWHL teams release final 23-player rosters ahead of Jan. 1 season opener". cbc.ca. Canadian Broadcasting Corporation . Retrieved December 28, 2023. Teams will also carry 3 reserve players for 2024 season
  27. 1 2 "PWHL Boston Roster 2024 Regular Season". ThePWHL.com. Professional Women's Hockey League . Retrieved March 14, 2024.
  28. 1 2 "Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL) Roster Updates". March 19, 2024.
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