2025-26 PWHL Season Preview: Boston Fleet
After a tumultuous offseason, the new-look Fleet are ready to hit the ice for the 2025-26 season.
The 2025-26 PWHL season is finally upon us, which means it's preview time. With a long, chaotic offseason now behind them, the Boston Fleet will need to take a big step forward offensively under new head coach Kris Sparre if they hope to return to the playoffs in 2026.
What Happened Last Season?
The Fleet had a roller coaster sophomore season after coming one win shy of the Walter Cup in Season 1. They started slow, with going 2-2-2-4 in their first ten games. They then picked it up for the middle part of their season, going 6-4-2-3 over their next 15 games. Then, after putting themselves in a great spot to make the playoffs, they sputtered out at the end of the season, going just 1-0-1-3 in their final five games. Their season ended in utter disaster after they got blown out 8-1 at home by the Minnesota Frost in a game where they needed just one point to clinch the playoffs.
The team’s biggest struggle last season was offense. Hilary Knight led the team with 15 goals, which accounted for 20% of the team’s entire output, while Susanna Tapani was the only other skater to crack ten, finishing with 11. Knight also ended the season tied for the league lead in points with 29, while no other Fleet skater cracked 20. It’s hard to win a lot of games when you can’t put the puck in the net, even with a goaltender as good as Aerin Frankel. They will need most of their returners to find another level offensively if they want to return to the playoffs this season.
Final Roster
The Fleet finalized their 2025-26 roster earlier this week, with some surprising names getting shuffled around. Here’s where things stand:
Forwards (13):
- Hannah Brandt
- Ella Huber
- Laura Kluge
- Shay Maloney
- Olivia Mobley
- Alina Müller (A)
- Abby Newhook
- Jamie Lee Rattray (A)
- Jill Saulnier
- Theresa Schafzahl
- Liz Schepers
- Sophie Shirley
- Susanna Tapani
Defenders (7):
- Zoe Boyd
- Riley Brengman
- Hadley Hartmetz
- Megan Keller (C)
- Rylind MacKinnon
- Daniela Pejšová
- Haley Winn
Goaltenders (3):
- Aerin Frankel
- Abbey Levy
- Amanda Thiele
Reserves (3):
- Mia Biotti (D)
- Loren Gabel (F)
- Olivia Zafuto (D)
Cuts (6): Chloé Aurard-Bushee (F), Kelly Babstock (F), Olivia Muhn (D), Julia Nearis (F), Kaitlyn Ross (G), Julia Shaunessy (D)
The Fleet entered camp with a 32-player roster, 21 of which were already under contract. Of those 21 players, 19 kept their full contracts. Aurard-Bushee, who signed a one-year deal on June 18, was the lone contracted player cut, to the surprise of many. She and Müller saw enourmous success as linemates in college, and the pair shared at media day how thrilled they were to be reunited. However, during a preseason press conference on Thursday, Marmer shared that some of her 2025 draftees outperformed expectations in camp, forcing her to make a difficult decision. She added that when she signed Aurard-Bushee, she saw her more as a gritty bottom-six player than Müller's linemate, as many expected she would be.
Meanwhile, Gabel’s full SPA, which she signed on July 24, was turned into a reserve contract. Outside of that, the roster panned out about as expected. Babstock has been a fan favorite since she joined the team, and they love what she brought to the locker room, but she became a liability on the ice last season with penalties and suspensions. The reserve slot is better used by Gabel, who still has the potential to be a lethal goal scorer in the PWHL.
Marmer rounded out the roster by signing her remaining 2025 draft picks– Brengman, Mobley, Newhook, and Thiele– to full SPAs, while Biotti and Zafuto filled out the reserve squad. The final roster, including the reserve players, features 14 returners from last year's roster, five players who were on other PWHL teams last season, and seven players fresh out of college.
Staff Changes
Just like the roster, the Fleet’s staff underwent a slew of changes this offseason. Courtney Kessel, who was the team’s head coach for the first two seasons, departed for Princeton’s head coaching vacancy on June 23. Marmer then conducted an extensive search before bringing in women’s hockey newcomer Kris Sparre, who is now a head coach for the first time in his career. The rest of the coaching staff also saw some turnover, with associate coach Pernilla Winberg and skills coach Courtney Kennedy departing the team. In their place, Jordan LaVallée-Smotherman joins Sparre behind the bench as an assistant coach, while Derek Whitmore enters the fold as the team’s player development coach. Last but not least, former Olympian Kacey Bellamy is now a player development consultant with the team.
Key Arrivals and Departures
The Fleet’s biggest offseason acquisition was their second overall pick, defender Haley Winn. She has the poise and skill to immediately step into the lineup and alleviate some of the strain off Megan Keller at both ends of the ice. Winn is an excellent puck mover and skater, and she will be a big boost to a defense corps that must improve in transition if the team hopes to find another gear offensively.
Other notable arrivals include the team’s second round pick Ella Huber, whose high compete level should provide a spark for the Fleet whenever she's on the ice. Meanwhile, goaltender Abbey Levy, who spent the past two seasons with the Sirens, will look to alleviate some of the strain off her old high school teammate, Aerin Frankel, while giving the Fleet a different look in goal with her 6’1” frame. Liz Schepers will also aim to bring some of her clutch goal-scoring to Boston after winning back-to-back Walter Cups with the Minnesota Frost.
As for notable departures, former captain Hilary Knight headlines the pack. She was left unprotected in the expansion draft and signed with the Seattle Torrent during their exclusive pre-draft window. Knight led the team and co-led the league with 29 points last season, and she was a huge part of establishing the Fleet’s culture. Her departure leaves a huge hole in the team on and off the ice, which the Fleet will have to try to fill by committee.
Other big departures include forward Hannah Bilka, who was the team’s fourth overall pick last season. She was having a strong rookie until a February injury derailed her season, but she still managed 11 points in 16 games. Seattle selected her with their second pick of the expansion draft. Then, with their last picks of the draft, Seattle plucked oft-underappreciated shutdown defender Emily Brown from the Fleet, while Vancouver took speedy transitional defender Sydney Bard.
Predictions
Team MVP: Aerin Frankel
It’s hard to bet against Aerin Frankel again being the Fleet’s MVP. Sparre and Co. hope a faster style will improve the team’s offense, but barring a slew of big breakout seasons, Frankel's still going to be relied on heavily to keep her team in games and steal a win or two. If this team squeaks into the playoffs, it'll be because she dragged them there.
Most Improved: Daniela Pejšová
It was abundantly clear from the beginning of the season that Pejšová did not jive with Kessel’s systems. She bounced all over the lineup because of it, even spending a few games at forward. However, Marmer made a trade to select Pejšová seventh overall at the 2024 draft for a reason. She has the potential to be an excellent transitional defender, and on the surface, she should fit much better into Sparre’s high-pace style. With Winn coming in and taking some of the load off Keller, Sparre and Co. will also be able to play Pejšová in better positions to succeed, and potentially pair her with one of them to build some confidence. All things considered, look for her to improve greatly on a disappointing season and be much closer to the player Marmer hoped she’d be on draft day.
Standings Finish: Outside the playoffs, but not dead last.
This is perhaps the hardest prediction to make given the team’s new coaching staff. It is possible that Sparre will unlock some of the returning Fleet players' potential, boosting the team's offense enough to squeak into playoffs. However, competition is going to be stiffer than ever this season, and because of that, the Fleet will likely finish outside of the playoff picture. It's going to take a bit for the skaters to get acclimated to Sparre’s new systems, and while Frankel is capable of stealing some wins, she can't do it all. It's unlikely any team will be able to overcome a slow start or any extended losing streaks this season and make the playoffs.
That said, if they manage to get off to a decent start and build as the season rolls on, there's a chance they find themselves playing in the postseason. Crazier things have happened in the PWHL, and since it's likely going to be another battle right down to the wire, it's hard to completely count any team in or out before the puck even drops. Still, it's more likely than not that the Fleet are headed for another long offseason.
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