Jillian Dempsey will make her long awaited return to the ice with the Boston Fleet tonight after signing as a reserve with the team to open the season.

Earlier today the Boston Fleet announced that Hannah Bilka has been placed on long-term injured reserve (LTIR).

As a result forward Jillian Dempsey has been signed to a 10-day Standard Player Agreement (SPA) and will make her long awaited return to Boston.

This news comes after Bilka suffered a lower-body injury in the Rivalry Series. The PWHL rookie represented Team USA against Canada, and has had a good start to her season. Bilka has nine points through 13 games, and is playing on the top line for the Fleet with league leaders like Hillary Knight.

Dempsey is getting a chance to prove herself tonight, as she leaves the Fleet’s Reserve Player list and gets her first start this season. Dempsey played all of last season with Montreal, before being signed to the Reserve Player list for the Fleet this season. She spent her entire career, both collegiately and professionally in Boston prior to next season.

This news came ahead of the Fleet game tonight against the New York Sirens. The Fleet are undefeated against the Sirens and are looking to continue that streak.

New York and Boston will play three games in 12 days against one another after returning from the International Break.

Fleet Head Coach Courtney Kessel is prepared for the matchup, she said, “coming back from the international break, it’s all about staying disciplined, winning battles along the boards and executing on special teams. Especially during our stretch here on the road, we need to control the pace, keep things simple, and play a full 60 minutes.”

The two teams are currently ranked fourth (Sirens) and fifth (Fleet) in the league. The Sirens have 20 points and the Fleet have 17 points and are tied for sixth with the Ottawa Charge.

Tonights game is a must-win for the Fleet if they want to stay out of last place. It also is the 45th game of the 2024-25 regular season, marking the officially halfway point of the season.

The puck drops at 7:00 p.m. ET at the Prudential Center in New York.