The Boston Fleet can be docking on Causeway Avenue this spring.
The Skilled Girls’s Hockey League membership introduced Tuesday morning that the staff will host the Montreal Victoire at TD Backyard on April 11 at 7 p.m.
The sport was initially listed on Boston’s schedule with a time and placement to be decided, however the Fleet will play its first sport on Backyard ice in opposition to a longtime Boston rival.
The lean will function the nightcap of a Saturday doubleheader at TD Backyard. The Boston Bruins first play the Tampa Bay Lightning at 12:30 p.m. earlier than the Fleet will hit the ice for the primary skilled girls’s hockey sport within the historic venue.
“This marks a particular milestone in our membership’s historical past,” stated Fleet normal supervisor Danielle Marmer. “The Boston-Montreal rivalry runs fairly deep on the lads’s facet, however we’ve discovered a method to proceed that within the PWHL as nicely. I count on this to be a very enjoyable sport for our followers to attend and one which’s going to imply loads by way of standings and simply to proceed on that rivalry.”
Montreal battled Boston final March on the Bell Centre, dwelling of the Montreal Canadiens, in entrance of 17,324 followers. The Fleet will now return the favor on the house sheet of the Bruins in what has developed into one of many league’s fiercest rivalries. Of the ten regular-season video games performed between the franchises, seven have required additional time. The Fleet notably swept Montreal in three straight additional time video games within the 2024 PWHL semifinals.
Marmer stated the group has been working towards touchdown a sport at TD Backyard for the reason that inaugural season in 2024 however confronted struggles to align the venue’s crowded schedule with the PWHL’s. She stated it was a precedence getting into yr three.
TD Backyard boasts a capability of 17,850 for hockey video games and introduced in over 13,000 followers for the Girls’s Beanpot in 2025. The WNBA’s Connecticut Solar held video games on the Backyard the previous two years, promoting out each.
“It’s a spot that I believe numerous us have at all times needed to play, particularly representing the town of Boston and enjoying for the Boston Fleet, we’re actually excited to get the chance to play at TD Backyard and hopefully pack the place,” stated Fleet captain Megan Keller.
The Fleet calls Lowell dwelling for almost all of its dwelling matchups this season. Boston hosts eight video games on the Tsongas Middle and 4 at Agganis Enviornment. Boston has video games at Agganis this week on Wednesday (7 p.m.) and Sunday (3 p.m.) and doesn’t return to the Tsongas till Jan. 14.
Sizzling begin
Boston (2-0-0-0) is the one unbeaten staff within the early goings of the 2025-26 marketing campaign, incomes thrilling wins over Montreal (2-0) and the Toronto Sceptres (3-1). Boston has relinquished a league-best one aim up to now and has additionally but to permit a power-play aim (3-for-3).
“Getting three factors on this league is hard to do, so to have the ability to try this within the first two video games, we’re clearly enthusiastic about that, however I believe for us as a gaggle we all know that we nonetheless have issues to work on and nonetheless have issues to develop on,” Keller stated. “That’s our focus after every sport.”
The Fleet blanked Montreal in Lowell in its dwelling opener earlier than hitting the highway and doling out a powerful 3-1 win over Toronto after battling again from a 1-0 deficit. Boston was the higher staff in all aspects of the sport in opposition to the Victoire — holding a 28-25 pictures on aim benefit and enjoying a sound defensive sport — earlier than grinding out a blue-collar effort whereas being outshot 25-12 in opposition to Toronto.
Whereas it’s early, having the ability to win in a myriad of the way excites Marmer.
“In case you have a staff that may discover other ways to win hockey video games, that’s a very good signal,” Marmer stated.
Frankel stands tall
Star netminder Aerin Frankel has loads to do with Boston’s success. Frankel has stopped 49 of fifty pictures and has been the anchor of the Fleet’s first two wins.
“There’s a confidence that she performs with, and seeing that come by means of in these first couple of video games, that’s the beginning that you really want for her,” Marmer stated.
Frankel has definitely lived as much as her billing as a franchise stalwart in her third yr with the staff. The Goaltender of the Yr finalist led the PWHL in saves final season with 591.
Newhook becoming in
Boston’s stars have proven out of their first two video games, with fixtures Susanna Tapani (2-1-3), Keller (1-1-2) and Alina Müller (1-1-2) carrying the offensive workload.
However rookie Abby Newhook has rapidly assimilated herself as a middle-six ahead with some playmaking punch for first-year bench boss Kris Sparre.
Newhook selected a pivotal time to pot her first profession aim, tying the sport at 1-1 in opposition to Toronto en path to an exhilarating win on Saturday.
“She’s a participant that’s are available and earned each alternative,” Sparre stated. “That final sport in an enormous second, we’re looking for our rhythm within the sport, and Abby goes in and wins an enormous 50-50 puck and units up a aim to kind of spark our staff.”
Newhook has expertise enjoying on Backyard ice. The Boston Faculty product performed within the Girls’s Beanpot final yr in a 4-1 win over Harvard within the third-place sport.
