After ten professional seasons across three leagues and two Olympic centralizations, Boston Fleet forward Hannah Brandt has retired.
The 32-year-old forward previously announced that this season would be her last. Since the 2024 offseason, she has been taking classes in a hybrid program at the University of Wisconsin to become a physician assistant. However, she must attend her final year in person. So, an emotional Brandt met with the media at the Fleet’s breakup day on Tuesday for the final time in her hockey career.
“I’ve tried not to think about it yet, because [it’s] too soon,” Brandt told assembled reporters when asked to reflect on her Fleet career. “But I think driving here, I was kind of like, oh, it’s the last time I’m going to BSI [Boston Sports Institute, the team’s practice facility]. So, that was a little bit sad. I’ve loved my time in Boston with my teammates and the staff here and everything.”
Brandt made her professional debut in 2016 with the Minnesota Whitecaps, who were then an independent team. She stayed there when they joined the then-NWHL (later renamed to the PHF) the following season. Then, Brandt was part of the PWHPA when it formed in 2019 to push for a sustainable professional league in North America following the collapse of the CWHL. She remained with the PWHPA for three seasons, with an Olympic centralization taking up what would have been a fourth. Then, finally, the league the PWHPA pushed for–the PWHL–launched in 2024. Along the way, Brandt played in three IIHF World Championships with Team USA (2012, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2022), along with two Olympic games (2018, 2022).
In short, Brandt was part of the generation that saw multiple leagues fold, but that never stopped pushing for more. When asked what it meant to end her career in the PWHL, Brandt said the reception the league has received is beyond anything she could have dreamed. She needed a moment to collect herself after answering.
“The TD game, I really think some of us were a little emotional before that game,” Brandt said. “You kind of saw it in front of our eyes, where we’ve come from. I’ve played in the Canadian Tire Centre, no fans, maybe like 100. I don’t know if I really, truly could tell you that I ever dreamed that we would sell out NHL arenas on a nightly basis. So it’s pretty cool to see young girls actually wear our jerseys and have something that they can look up to.”
Fleet general manager Danielle Marmer was familiar with Brandt from Brandt’s college days at the University of Minnesota, where she won three national championships in three seasons. At the time, Marmer was playing at Quinnipiac University. The two never faced off, but she knew Brandt as “the best of the best.” That feeling didn’t change after Marmer selected Brandt in the fifth round of the inaugural PWHL draft. She spoke about how much the team will miss her, calling Brandt “special” and highlighting her versatility.
“Hannah Brandt is a special person, a special hockey player,” Marmer said on breakup day. “I can’t think of a time that she didn’t have a smile on her face at the rink. Just such a glue person in our locker room and a glue player on the ice. She plays so many different lines, so many different roles. She’s either winning the game for us in a shootout or she’s blocking shots on the penalty kill. She can really do it all. She’s had such an incredible career, winning national championships, Patty Kaz finalist. We were playing college hockey at the same time and I knew exactly who she was as a player. She was the best of the best. Just so cool to get to have her here and have her end her career in a Boston Fleet jersey. She’s certainly going to be missed in every aspect.”
First-year Fleet head coach Kris Sparre shared similar sentiments, highlighting her personality and calling her someone for the team’s youth to look up to.
“Hannah’s so fun to be around,” Sparre said on breakup day. “She’s got such a great personality. Makes me laugh at least twice a day. And she played a pivotal role in developing the culture here that we’ve built. Being someone that’s been around as long as she has been, she was a player that a lot of our youth can look to to do things the right way, specifically on the ice. We’ll certainly miss her, but excited for her next chapter in life, and she’ll always be a Boston Fleet.”
Brandt’s teammates felt the same way about her. Jill Saulnier, who spoke with the media at the same time as Brandt on breakup day, fought back her own emotions while speaking about the mark Brandt left on the Fleet.
“I’ll say it now before I start crying, but she was such a staple on this team,” Saulnier said. “I’ll never see a 20 jersey in Boston and not think of her if another kid gets to come and throw it on.”
Saulnier then turned to Brandt and shared her heartfelt thanks and congratulations.
“You paved the way,” Saulnier told her. “You paved the way for Boston and for the U.S. She’s got the memories and the staple that she’s put in her cities and the country to show for it. As a Canadian, I’m a fan, so congratulations. I’m proud to be your friend.”