Boston Fleet name Kris Sparre as head coach

The Boston Fleet on Wednesday named Kris Sparre the second coach in franchise historical past.

Sparre, who spent the final three seasons as an assistant coach with the AHL’s San Diego Gulls, will succeed Courtney Kessel, who stepped down in June to lead the Princeton women’s hockey program.

“I’m honored and thrilled to be named the top coach of the Boston Fleet,” Sparre stated in a press release launched by the workforce. “That is an unbelievable alternative to be a part of a league that has skilled exceptional development and momentum in current seasons. Boston stands as one of many premier sports activities cities on this planet, and I stay up for constructing a program that’s able to contending for a championship each season.”

Previous to teaching within the AHL for the Anaheim Geese’ prime affiliate, Sparre, 38, spent one season as an affiliate coach with the OHL’s Flint Firebirds, two seasons as an assistant coach for Austria’s Crimson Bull Salzburg, and three seasons as an assistant coach with the OHL’s Niagara IceDogs.

“What makes Kris such a powerful match is his expertise within the AHL, the place coaches are continually balancing the necessity to win now with the accountability of growing gamers — a problem that mirrors what we face within the PWHL,” Fleet basic supervisor Danielle Marmer stated in a launch. “Our gamers have to develop and carry out in actual time, and Kris understands tips on how to create that surroundings.”

A local of Mississauga, Ontario, Sparre performed 9 seasons {of professional} hockey between stints within the ECHL and Germany’s Deutsche Eishockey Liga.

He’ll inherit a workforce that went 9-6-5-10 final season and missed the playoffs after a collapse within the regular-season finale.

Sparre additionally shall be tasked with constructing a cohesive workforce after the Fleet underwent a serious roster shakeup within the offseason. The PWHL added Seattle and Vancouver as its first growth groups, and Boston misplaced eight core gamers, together with captain Hilary Knight, to the growth course of.

“[Sparre] brings readability, construction, and a deep dedication to serving to gamers succeed,” Marmer stated. “Simply as importantly, he’s often known as a relationship-driven coach and an elite communicator — somebody who builds belief, connects with gamers, and brings power and objective to the rink daily. We’re thrilled to have him main our workforce.”