Boston Adds Several Intriguing Players to Training Camp Roster

The Boston Fleet training camp roster offered few surprises but will feature some tough battles for lineup spots.

The players invited to the Boston Fleet’s training camp include several very interesing names; there will be a goaltending battle for the third spot (or maybe even backup), and a fan favorite is trying to make a return to the team.

First of all, in goal, this is one of the more stacked groups in the league. Not only do they have returning netminders Aerin Frankel and Emma Söderberg, but Cami Kronish (who was the third goalie last season but didn’t get any game action) and Czech national team stalwart Klára Peslarová will be on the ice to make things interesting. Peslarová is similar to Frankel in stature and playing style, so it might make sense that GM Danielle Marmer liked the idea of finding another ‘wall’ for the team. Kronish, on the other hand, is six feet tall, and might be an enticing option. Last year, Söderberg played eight games, but didn’t quite have the numbers she did when playing with the Swedish national team.

Kelly Babstock joined Boston late last season and was a huge factor in their playoff run despite limited playing time and zero points. Her infectious enthusiasm and refusal to quit was highlighted on camera for all to see, and the effect that a fourth-line player like Babstock can have is often nowhere more evident than this. She’s 32 and won’t win a roster spot over someone else on talent, but there still might be a fit if she can give the Fleet some decent minutes and be an energy player.

Of course, all eyes will be on Boston fixture Jillian Dempsey, who looked like a fish out of water in Montreal last season. After playing in Boston her whole college and pro career (not to mention being from Winthrop, Massachusetts), she’s getting the chance to show that her first season in the PWHL wasn’t the end. At 33, she might have one last opportunity to shine in her hometown, and play more than the third- or fourth-line role that she had with Montreal. The numbers say she has a lot more to give, but will the Boston connection rejuvenate Dempsey enough to make the cut?

Amanda Pelkey was another playoff performer who should get a contract. Her three points in eight playoff games were more than her 24-game season total, and if the PWHL playoffs are similar to other hockey leagues’, she has the makeup to contribute the intangibles again. Her age, 31, is not in her favor, however.

Maude Poulin-Labelle was signed to two teams last year (first as a reserve in Montreal, and then Toronto), and the UVM graduate now finds herself with a third team and a new opportunity. She joined the active roster with Toronto and played 11 games with the team. In Boston, she would likely fit as a reserve, since there are probably eight defenders ahead of her.

Of note, although she’s not an invitee, it was encouraging to see that Ilona Markova, drafted in the sixth round (37th overall), is indeed going to attend camp with the Fleet. There had been questions about her ability to come to North America, but she will travel with an active visa through Uzbekistan and then to the USA since there is currently no American embassy in Russia.