PWHL
“We anticipate her to have the ability to play in each scenario.”
After a late-season collapse had Boston on the surface trying in on the playoffs this spring, the Fleet had been decimated by offseason departures.
The arrival of two new PWHL franchises in Seattle and Vancouver led to several franchise fixtures leaving Boston — headlined by captain Hilary Knight and promising rookie Hannah Bilka.
In whole, 5 defenders from the 2024-25 membership in Sydney Bard, Emily Brown, Emma Greco, Jess DiGirolamo, and Sidney Morin left in free company — whereas head coach Courtney Kessel additionally left her publish to take over as Princeton’s head ladies’s hockey coach.
Even with Boston retaining a number of key gamers like Alina Muller, Megan Keller, and Aerin Frankel, Fleet GM Danielle Marmer has a frightening activity in entrance of her in terms of establishing a brand new core of expertise for Boston’s PWHL franchise.
However because the Fleet look to ascertain themselves as a stout defensive membership underneath first-year head coach Kris Sparre, Marmer believes that Boston has a brand new constructing block in place in rookie defender Haley Winn.
“She skates the sport so nicely, and I feel that’s going to be an asset on this league the place the whole lot’s taking place quick,” Marmer stated of Winn, who was chosen by the Fleet with the second decide within the 2025 PWHL Entry Draft. “Her potential to get again to pucks and retrieve pucks rapidly — she has a lot poise with the puck, makes a very nice first cross, will get up within the rush and might contribute on offense.
“Photographs get via from the purpose. Her manufacturing in faculty is fairly spectacular, and we anticipate that to proceed. Pucks received’t go within the internet fairly as simply as they might have in faculty, however we anticipate her to be part of that. She will run an influence play, after which she’s defended in opposition to the most effective gamers on this planet already thus far. And so we anticipate her to have the ability to play in each scenario.”
Winn — a dynamic defender who each stuffed the stat sheet at Clarkson College whereas additionally logging heavy minutes — officially put pen to paper on a three-year cope with the Fleet on Wednesday that can preserve her in Boston via the 2027-28 season.
“It is a dream come true to simply be capable to play hockey for a residing as a profession, and to have the ability to do it in Boston, I’m simply so excited,” Winn stated Wednesday morning.
Even with a longtime star defender in Keller nonetheless in place, Marmer burdened that including an affect participant to Boston’s blue line within the draft stood as a prime precedence — particularly after a lot turnover at that space on the depth chart.
“With the enlargement draft and free company — we wanted to fill out our again finish, and wanted someone who may play at a very excessive degree,” Marmer famous. “And Haley, coming from Clarkson, which is an elite program, elite teaching workers, after which additionally her time with the nationwide group — she has confirmed potential to play with the most effective gamers on this planet, so she’s going to have the ability to are available straight away and make an affect.
“The factor that’s most fun for me, for Haley, is she’s going to get so significantly better on this league too … We discuss in regards to the adjustment from faculty hockey to the professionals, however I feel she’s going to have a better time than most making that adjustment, after which her recreation goes to take off from there, as nicely.”
The 22-year-old Winn is predicted to be handed heavy duties proper out of the gate this fall, given her versatile skillset. A four-year standout at Clarkson, Winn was a constant playmaker from the again finish, recording 131 factors (37 targets, 94 assists) in 151 video games with the Golden Knights.
Through the 2024-25 marketing campaign, Winn earned ECAC Participant and Defender of the Yr honors as a First Staff All-American with Clarkson, additionally receiving a nod as a Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award finalist after rating second amongst NCAA defenders with 46 factors (14 targets, 32 assists) over 38 video games.
Regardless that it’s to be anticipated for Winn to undergo some rising pains on the professional degree, the Rochester, New York native does have some expertise taking part in alongside just a few of her Fleet teammates — as she has already competed in three IIHF Girls’s World Championships on a Staff USA roster that additionally featured gamers like Keller and Frankel.
That familiarity with a number of prime abilities ought to assist Winn ingratiate herself to a Fleet group seeking to re-establish itself after such a seismic offseason.
“I’m so excited. I’ve heard superb issues about all of the followers,” Winn stated. “So I’m simply excited to have the ability to actually do what I like in entrance of them and attempt to clearly convey dwelling what we’re going to work for all season with the Walter Cup.”
Even when the Fleet is likely to be in a state of transition after dropping so many prime abilities this summer season, Marmer believes the franchise is heading in the right direction — particularly with Frankel, Muller, and Keller additionally all signed via the 2027-28 marketing campaign.
“The change is bittersweet, proper? We had some superb gamers come via this group, and have been part of constructing this — and so to see them go off into different markets is just a little bit unhappy,” Marmer stated. “However actually excited for the chance that they’re going to have.
“And with change comes alternative. And I’m actually excited for gamers in our locker room, gamers on this most up-to-date draft, who’re going to have the chance to step up and perhaps wouldn’t have had that chance had a few of these gamers [remained].”
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