While no announcement has ever come from the PWHL or Boston Fleet, the departure of head coach Courtney Kessel is now official as Princeton University aimed the former Fleet bench boss their new head coach.

“It is an exciting moment for Princeton Women’s Ice Hockey with the return of Courtney Kessel in her new role as head coach,” said Princeton's Director of Athletics John Mack in a school news release.

“She is a bright coaching mind with head coaching experience and success at the highest levels of professional and international hockey. She also has a wealth of knowledge about Princeton and our hockey program and knows first-hand what it requires to recruit, develop and mentor exceptional student-athletes at our University. I can’t wait to welcome Courtney, Blake and their family back to campus and support them as they begin this next chapter for Princeton Women’s Ice Hockey.”

The vacancy at Princeton was created when longtime coach Cara Gardner Morey stepped away this offseason to become the new general manager for PWHL Vancouver. 

Kessel worked as an assistant coach with Princeton prior to being named the inaugural head coach for the Boston Fleet. She guided Boston to game five of the Walter Cup finals in her first season in the league, but this year Boston faltered late missing the playoffs.

Internationally, Kessel, a former member of Team Canada herself, was an assistant coach with the 2024 World Championship gold medal winning senior national team, and head coach for the gold medal winning 2023 U-18 World Championship roster. She's excited however, to be heading back to Princeton.

“I am grateful to have the opportunity to return to Princeton and serve as women’s ice hockey head coach,” Kessel said.

“My time at Princeton was special to me personally and professionally, and I am excited to rekindle those relationships with student-athletes, alumni, friends and colleagues. I am thankful to John Mack, Anthony Archbald and the entire search committee for their dialogue throughout the process and their support as I start this new role. It is bittersweet to move on from the Boston Fleet and the amazing people building that organization and the PWHL as a whole. This opportunity was the only one that could draw me away from where I was, and it is because I believe there is no better place to coach and develop student-athletes than at Princeton University. I look forward to getting to know the current team and building upon the foundation already established by wonderfully successful coaches and teams.”