LOWELL — The Boston Fleet look for a fresh start, with a bunch of “news,” as they kick off their third season in the Professional Women’s Hockey League Sunday.
The Fleet will host the Montreal Victoire at 1 p.m., at the Tsongas Center for their first game in an expansion year.
Two new teams join the league this season: the Seattle Torrent and Vancouver Goldeneyes. They face Vancouver for the first time Dec. 3 at the Agganis Arena in Boston. They’ll meet Seattle on the road at the Climate Pledge Arena Dec. 21. The Fleet are splitting their home schedule between the Tsongas Center and Agganis Arena, with Lowell getting eight home games and the Boston venue seeing four.
The league will continue its Takeover Tour with some Boston “home” and “away” games slated at neutral sites, visiting cities like Detroit and Halifax, Nova Scotia.
Defender Megan Keller will captain the Fleet, taking the reigns after the departure of former captain Hilary Knight who was scooped up by Seattle in the expansion draft this summer to fill its roster.
Knight was left unprotected in the draft, as the Fleet’s management turned its attention toward building around Keller, goaltender Aerin Frankel and forward Alina Muller who all signed contract extensions in the offseason.
Muller was additionally named an alternate captain for the first time while Jamie Rattray retained her alternate captain title for the third consecutive season.
“This group brings an excellent balance of leadership to our locker room,” the Fleet’s new head coach Kris Sparre said, noting Keller’s competitive edge, Muller’s passion for the game and Rattray’s veteran status.
The team has seen some change since it last took the ice in April and dropped the last game of the 2024-2025 season after a tight, three-team race to secure the last playoff position.
While some new faces join the mix, the team inked new deals with five of its forwards to continue to build its offensive game. The team also secured a deal with two-time Walter Cup champion Liz Schepers who spent two seasons with the Minnesota Frost.
The Fleet have also welcomed a new coaching staff and named new leadership on the ice.
Behind the bench, this is Sparre’s first run as a head coach. His staff will include new faces: assistant coach Jordan Lavallee-Smotherman, player development consultant Kacey Bellamy and player development coach Derek Whitmore. Three coaches – Stefanie McKeoh, Lenny Mosca and Shawn Roche, are returning. Sparre, whose experience being an assistant coach in the American Hockey League, replaced Courtney Kessel who left to become Princeton University’s head coach.
For the Fleet’s schedule of its 2025-2026 campaign, visit thepwhl.com.