Boston Fleet

Last updated

Boston Fleet
BostonFleet.png
City Boston, Massachusetts
League PWHL
FoundedAugust 29, 2023 (2023-08-29)
Home arena Tsongas Center
ColorsForest green, aqua, navy and teal
    
Owner(s) Mark Walter Group
General manager Danielle Marmer
Head coach Courtney Birchard-Kessel
Captain Hilary Knight
Website boston.thepwhl.com
Championships
Walter Cups 0
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 Birchard-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 November 29, 2024 [26] [27]
No. Nat Player Pos S/G AgeAcquiredBirthplace
88 Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Lexie Adzija F L242024 St. Thomas, Ontario
19 Flag of the United States.svg Hannah Bilka F L232024 Coppell, Texas
20 Flag of the United States.svg Hannah Brandt F R312023 Vadnais Heights, Minnesota
2 Flag of the United States.svg Emily Brown D L252023 Blaine, Minnesota
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
36 Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Loren Gabel F L272023 Kitchener, Ontario
17 Flag of the United States.svg Taylor Girard F L262023 Macomb, Michigan
25 Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Emma Greco D L292024 Burlington, Ontario
6 Flag of the United States.svg Hadley Hartmetz   Injury icon 2.svg D R232024 Phoenixville, Pennsylvania
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
27 Flag of the United States.svg Shay Maloney F R252024 McHenry, Illinois
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
55 Flag of the Czech Republic.svg Daniela Pejšová D L222024 Teplice, Czech Republic
16 Flag of the United States.svg Amanda Pelkey F R312023 Montpelier, Vermont
29 Flag of the Czech Republic.svg Klára Peslarová G L282024 Ostrava, Czech Republic
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
77 Flag of Finland.svg Susanna Tapani F L312024 Laitila, Finland

Reserves

As of November 29, 2024 [26] [27]
No. Nat Player Pos S/G AgeAcquiredBirthplace
8 Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Kelly Babstock F R322023 Mississauga, Ontario
14 Flag of the United States.svg Jillian Dempsey F L332024 Winthrop, Massachusetts
3 Flag of the United States.svg Olivia Zafuto D L272024 Niagara Falls, New York

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.

<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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Premier Hockey Federation</span> Former North American professional womens ice hockey league

The Premier Hockey Federation (PHF) was a women's professional ice hockey league in the United States and Canada that operated from March 2015 until June 2023. The league was established in 2015 as the National Women's Hockey League (NWHL), comprising four league-owned teams. Over time, some teams gained independent ownership and the number of teams grew to seven; teams during the league's final season in 2022–23 included the Boston Pride, Buffalo Beauts, Connecticut Whale, Metropolitan Riveters, Minnesota Whitecaps, Montreal Force, and Toronto Six. The Isobel Cup was awarded annually to the league playoff champion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Boston Pride</span> Former womens professional ice hockey team in Boston

The Boston Pride was a professional women's ice hockey team based in Boston, Massachusetts. It was one of the four charter franchises of the Premier Hockey Federation (PHF). The Pride played at Warrior Ice Arena, which is also the practice facility for the Boston Bruins of the National Hockey League. The Pride won the inaugural Isobel Cup in 2016 and became the first professional women's ice hockey team to win three championship titles when they claimed consecutive victories in 2021 and 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Isobel Cup</span> Premier Hockey Federation championship trophy

The Lady Isobel Gathorne-Hardy Cup, often shortened to Isobel Cup, is the championship trophy that was awarded annually to the now defunct Premier Hockey Federation (PHF) playoff winner. The trophy is named after Lady Isobel Gathorne-Hardy, the daughter of Lord Stanley—former Governor-General of Canada and namesake of the Stanley Cup—and one of the first women known to play the game of ice hockey.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aerin Frankel</span> American ice hockey player

Aerin Frankel is an American professional ice hockey goaltender for the Boston Fleet of the Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL) and member of the United States women's national ice hockey team. She was one of the best goaltenders in women's NCAA history. She won the Patty Kazmaier Award in 2021. She is a two-time recipient of the WHCA National Goalie of the Year award and was the inaugural winner in 2021. In 2023, Frankel won gold with the United States women's national ice hockey team at the 2023 IIHF Women's World Championship in Brampton, Ontario.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Professional Women's Hockey League</span> Womens ice hockey league in North America

The Professional Women's Hockey League is a professional women's ice hockey league in North America, wholly owned and operated by the Mark Walter Group. It consists of six franchises, three each from Canada and the United States, who play a regular season to earn one of four places in a postseason tournament that determines the winner of the Walter Cup.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2023–24 PWHL season</span> Sports season

The 2023–24 PWHL season was the first season of operation of the Professional Women's Hockey League, and began play on January 1, 2024. Six teams competed during the inaugural season, located in Montreal, Toronto, Newark, Boston, Ottawa, and Saint Paul. The season culminated in a two-round best-of-five playoff including the top four teams to determine the season champion. PWHL Toronto topped the regular season standings with 17 wins and 47 points. In the playoffs, PWHL Minnesota won the inaugural Walter Cup, defeating PWHL Boston in a 5-game series for the title.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ottawa Charge</span> PWHL ice hockey team in Ottawa

The Ottawa Charge are a professional ice hockey team based in Ottawa, Ontario. They are one of the six charter franchises of the Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL). They play their home games at TD Place Arena.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Montreal Victoire</span> Womens professional ice hockey team in Montreal

The Montreal Victoire are a professional women's ice hockey team based in Montreal, Quebec. They are one of the six charter franchises of the Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL). They play home games at Place Bell in Laval.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Toronto Sceptres</span> Womens professional ice hockey team

The Toronto Sceptres are a Canadian professional ice hockey team based in Toronto, Ontario. They are one of the six charter franchises of the Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL). They host games at Coca-Cola Coliseum at Exhibition Place in downtown Toronto. Toronto topped the standings in the league's inaugural regular season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Minnesota Frost</span> PWHL ice hockey team in Minneapolis-St. Paul

The Minnesota Frost is a professional ice hockey team based in Saint Paul, Minnesota. It is one of the six charter franchises of the Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL). The Frost host games at the Xcel Energy Center. In 2024, the Frost won the PWHL's inaugural Walter Cup championship.

The 2023–24 PWHL Minnesota 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 Xcel Energy Center in Saint Paul, Minnesota.

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.

The 2023–24 PWHL Montréal season was the team's inaugural season as a member of the newly created Professional Women's Hockey League. They played their home games at Verdun Auditorium in Montreal and Place Bell in the suburb of Laval. They also played one game at the Bell Centre on April 20.

The 2023–24 PWHL New York 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 Total Mortgage Arena in Bridgeport, Connecticut, and UBS Arena in Elmont, New York.

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2024–25 PWHL season</span> Sports season

The 2024–25 PWHL season is the second season of operation of the Professional Women's Hockey League. Six teams will compete during the season, located in Boston, Saint Paul, Montreal, Newark, Ottawa, and Toronto.

The 2024–25 Boston Fleet season is the team's second season as a member of the Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL). They played their home games at the Tsongas Center in Lowell, Massachusetts.

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 Sportsnet Staff (November 29, 2024). "PWHL teams unveil opening day rosters ahead of regular season opener". SportsNet.ca. Rogers Media . Retrieved November 29, 2024.
  27. 1 2 "Boston Fleet Roster". ThePWHL.com. Professional Women's Hockey League. November 29, 2024. Retrieved November 29, 2024.
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