The Boston Fleet remain the only team in the PWHL without a head coach. Courtney Kessel, who held the role for the team's first two seasons, moved on this year accepting a new head coaching position at Princeton University.
In recent weeks, PWHL Vancouver secured their new head coach hiring St. Cloud State bench boss Brian Idalski, while PWHL Seattle hired former Oshawa Generals head coach Steven O'Rourke.
Neither Boston or the PWHL formally announced Kessel's departure, instead allowing Princeton to make the first public announcement on the matter. Since then, Boston's replacement has also remained a veritable mystery.
Many questioned why a professional coach would step "back" to the NCAA. Currently, many NCAA coaches make significantly more, at times in the ballpark of $100,000 more per season, than PWHL coaches. As well, NCAA coaching jobs are generally far more secure with many coaches holding their tenure for a decade or more.
Still, the question remains, who will replace Courtney Kessel as the Boston Fleet's new head coach?
Kennedy Was The Rumored Replacement
When the news that Kessel was heading to Princeton circulated, it was coupled with a rumor that the Fleet's current skills coach, Courtney Kennedy, would be taking over. So far, that hasn't happened.
Kennedy was in her first season with the Fleet and also served as an assistant coach with USA's U-18 national team last season. For 15 years before that, Kennedy had served as an associate head coach and assistant coach with Boston College, and held various roles with Team USA. As a player, Kennedy suited up for the the University of Minnesota and represented USA at two Olympic Games and a World Championship.
It's still completely possible, and perhaps even likely, that Kennedy ends up with the job.
Chatter Around Dave Flint Unlikely
There was also talk that long time Northeastern head coach Dave Flint was interested in the job. It's believed both Seattle and Vancouver kicked a few tires with Flint before settling on their current head coaches, and Flint was spotted helping Seattle during the PWHL expansion draft in their war room.
If he were taking on the head coaching job in Boston, however, it's unlikely he would have been in that role with another team. Flint has built an incredible program at Northeastern, and with former Northeastern stars Alina Müller and Chloe Aurard set to reunite with the Fleet, it makes sense, but remains unlikely.
Could An AHL Connection Be Coming?
The other rumor circulating in the women's hockey world is actually coming from men's hockey. There's belief the Boston Fleet are targeting a coach coming from the American Hockey League (AHL). The AHL is the top farm league for the NHL, and there's no shortage of experienced coaches in the loop.
One name that jumps off the page as a possible bench boss in Boston is long time head coach Kevin Dineen. Dineen most recently served as the head coach of the Utica Comets for four seasons. During the 2024 World Championships, he was seen mingling with many PWHL players. Why? Dineen has a history of involvement in women's hockey. He was the head coach with Team Canada, winning Olympic gold in 2014. At that time, he was coming off a three-year stint as the head coach for the NHL's Florida Panthers. Seeing Dineen shift a few hours east to take over as the new head coach in Boston would be no surprise. Right now, he seems like a leading candidate for the job.
If there's another name that could emerge, it's former Boston Pride head coach Paul Mara. Mara was hired by the NHL's New York Rangers after the PHF was acquired by the PWHL, and has since served as an assistant with the AHL's Hartford Wolfpack. Mara would be another highly qualified individual, and if the AHL rumor holds true, he's the only other name that jumps off the page.