The Boston Fleet, against all expectations, have started the season red hot. They've brought new structure, new confidence, and a new expectation...and the results are speaking for themselves.
The Boston Fleet are systematically picking apart the PWHL one team at a time. Picked by many to be bottom feeders in the PWHL this season, the Fleet look more like hustlers every game.
While it's still early, the Fleet are riding high on a balanced lineup, new systems and structure implemented by first year head coach Kris Sparre, and exceptional performances from their top players.
No pushover, the Fleet have found their own path to success early.
Sparre Has Brought Structure And Balance
The Boston Fleet are playing better team hockey than they have in the last two years. It's the immediate positive impact of the Boston Fleet's new head coach, Kris Sparre. Sparre and the Fleet have accepted their identity, one that doesn't rely on wide open hockey, but rather on disciplined hockey, relentless puck pursuit, responsible positioning, balanced lines, and willingness to engage physically in all zones.
Boston's balance is seen in their line composition and ice time distribution. In the past, PWHL teams, like the Montreal Victoire in the 2024 playoffs, have sunk due to running their top line into the ground. It's been an attempt by teams to keep their most skilled offensive players on the ice, but making them less effective. Conversely, teams like the Minnesota Frost thrived in the postseason through depth contributions from third and fourth lines. Boston has a definable lack of high end offensive skill on their roster this season up front, but Sparre's deployment of his roster has given everyone chances to contribute, and it's kept his key players away from defensive match ups, and better rested.
In Boston's 2-0 win over the Vancouver Goldeneyes, one where they held the much-hyped Goldeneyes to zero shots for the first 14:54 of the game, no forward on the Fleet played more than 16:49. The interesting part however, was that multiple members of Boston's top three lines played in the 15- and 16-minute brackets, and only two Fleet forwards played less than 13 minutes.
The result is a Fleet team that can push the pressure and pace every shift, and one where you can see the belief among players that they're getting equal opportunities to contribute.
Boston's Blueline Has Been Exceptional
Haley Winn might be the best defender in the PWHL right now. She didn't get recognized for her November efforts, as she hadn't put up offensive numbers, but make no mistake, there is currently no defender in the PWHL having the same impact as Haley Winn.
Winn came just shy of playing half the game for the Fleet against Vancouver, and her fitness levels, hockey IQ, mobility with the puck, and ability to spark offense from the blueline are evident. Paired with Megan Keller, there is not a defensive duo in the league who can impact the game on both sides of the puck like Boston's top pairing.
Beyond that duo, however, Boston's next four are contributing in their own ways. Rookie Riley Brengman and second year defender Hadley Hartmetz are playing responsible, puck-moving hockey. And veteran acquisition Zoe Boyd has delivered her trademark physical, shutdown style. Second year defender Daniela Pejsova has taken a significant step forward, and is finally getting an opportunity to develop with reasonable minutes and responsibilities, something she was not afforded last year.
The result is a group who are giving opponents almost no time and space, who are actively killing plays in the neutral zone, and who are effectively funnelling rushes to the outside before closing off gaps. It's stifling hockey, and with Aerin Frankel behind them, the already razor thin margin for error for opposing teams has disappeared.
Aerin Frankel Remains A Game Changer
Sooner or later Aerin Frankel is going to go from Goaltender of the Year finalist, a title she's held in each of the PWHL's first two seasons, to PWHL Goaltender of the Year winner. The 2025-26 season could be that moment.
Through three games, the Boston Feet have allowed only a single goal against, with Frankel posting two shutouts and a 3-1 win over Toronto. The Fleet are averaging only 23.7 shot against per game, but more importantly many of those shots are coming from well outside danger areas. Frankel is agile, competitive, and hard to beat on the best of opportunities, so keeping shots 30 feet out and without traffic, she's nearly impossible to solve.
It Started In Training Camp
Fans were surprised by the Boston Fleet's decision to release Chloe Aurard and place Loren Gabel on the team's reserve roster. They were both signed in the offseason and expected to be key pieces of Boston's offensive attack. In the end, neither made the team. It's hard for fans and pundits to analyze PWHL camps because they're largely off limits to the public unlike other leagues. What's easy to see however, is that Boston meant it when they said jobs were up for grabs, that a fair competition would ensue, and those camp competitions have resulted in a team that is still competing hard. Boston was one of only two PWHL teams to bring more than 30 players to camp. It forced draft picks and signed players to openly compete for jobs, not to have them given. With the Fleet's on-ice identity, one that cannot rely on skill alone, you can see the mentality set by general manager Danielle Marmer and head coach Kris Sparre from day one of their camp trickling over into the regular season.
Can It Continue?
In the PWHL where the regular season is only 30 games, every win, particularly every 3-point regulation win, is crucial. There's no glossing over that and there's no game, whether it's the first or last on the schedule, more important than any other. It's what gives Boston fans hope. But things won't get easier for Boston.
They've entered the season with chemistry, and a team-first mentality that is yielding results. Other, more highly skilled teams like their most recent victims, the Vancouver Goldeneyes, have struggled to find their footing. As other teams settle in however, build chemistry, and get their systems in order, the Fleet will need to find new ways to win as well.
Boston is already building some of those foundational pieces. One area is Boston's power play, which is currently puttering at only 9.1%, although it's a small sample size to date. Sparre however, has his team learning new elements that haven't been a regular aspect of any PWHL team attack to date. For one, Boston is consistently using a drop breakout in from the neutral zone which is opening up time not only in the middle of the rink, but also at times giving Boston clean and controlled offensive zone entries with the extra attacker. For a team that cannot rest on their laurels with current success or a depth of high-end offensive players, causing opponents to adapt to something they aren't regularly seeing, and finding ways to maintain possession is a must.
Boston's willingness to play their entire lineup is another element that could pay dividends later. The PWHL has proven a space where lesser known players can emerge as contributors, and Boston needs to find a few players in this category from their current pool.
One thing is clear, the Boston Fleet won't be a pushover this season, and they're proving that "on paper" and on the ice are two very different things.
