After a long offseason, we’re finally just a few weeks away from PWHL training camps. The Boston Fleet have reached their maximum of 19 signed players heading into training camp. This leaves them with seven spots up for grabs — three of which will be reserves, barring a last-minute announcement from the league that they are changing how rosters are constructed, which they were rumored to be debating this summer. Regardless, to fill those spots, the Fleet invited ten players to camp. Three of those ten are the team’s remaining unsigned draft picks, while the other seven are traditional camp invites.
Currently, the Fleet have 11 forwards, six defenders, and two goaltenders under contract. Assuming a relatively standard roster construction, the Fleet will likely sign three or four more forwards, two or three defenders, and one goaltender. However, the only requirement is that they sign one more goaltender. So, without further ado, let’s take a closer look at who you’ll see at Boston’s camp.
Signed players
Forwards
- Loren Gabel
- Taylor House
- Ella Huber
- Laura Kluge
- Shay Maloney
- Olivia Mobley
- Abby Newhook
- Jill Saulnier
- Liz Schepers
- Sophie Shirley
- Susanna Tapani
Just one new face is confirmed to be joining the Fleet’s forward corps this season, with Taylor House signing a one-year deal in June after spending the past two seasons in Ottawa. Meanwhile, Sophie Shirley, Susanna Tapani, and Loren Gabel have all been with the Fleet since the inaugural season (with Tapani coming over via trade). Shay Maloney and Jill Saulnier are heading into their third season on the team. The rest of the players are back for season two in green.
Defenders
- Amanda Boulier
- Grace Dwyer
- Megan Keller
- Rylind MacKinnon
- Leah Stecker
- Haley Winn
Boston’s defense corps went through a massive overhaul this season. Just three of nine defenders who played for them last season are returning. Headlining the group are reigning Defender of the Year Megan Keller and reigning Rookie of the Year Haley Winn. They were two of Boston’s initial three protections during this year’s expansion process, and for good reason. Expect them to play huge minutes in all situations again this season, while leading the team’s blueline offense. Rylind MacKinnon is the other returner from last season’s roster, and she’ll continue to be a steady, physical presence on the blueline.
In addition, the Fleet have signed their top two picks from this year’s draft. Grace Dwyer (round 1, pick 10) and Leah Stecker (round 3, pick 27) both inked three-year deals this summer. Stecker signed in August and Dwyer agreed to terms in September. Both players are expected to bring a steady presence and physicality to the blueline after strong collegiate careers with Cornell and Penn State, respectively.
Meanwhile, Amanda Boulier joined Boston on a two-year deal in June after spending two and a half seasons in Montréal. Before joining the Victoire, she spent 17 games with PWHL Ottawa in the inaugural season. The Watertown, CT native has amassed 18 points in 78 career games, along with 94 blocked shots, including 44 last season alone.
Goaltenders
- Aerin Frankel
- Amanda Thiele
Last but not least, two of Boston’s three goaltenders from last year are returning. The headliner is obviously reigning PWHL MVP and Goaltender of the Year Aerin Frankel. She is the anchor of the Fleet, and she will yet again play the vast majority of the games. Given the Fleet’s downgraded offense, they’ll need her to put together another MVP-caliber performance if they hope to make much noise this season.
In addition to Frankel, Amanda Thiele will likely have a bigger role this season after spending her rookie year as the team’s third goaltender. Her sole start last season was the team’s playoff-clinching win in March over the Minnesota Frost, who at the time had the league’s best offense by a decent margin. It was an admirable debut for Thiele, who put up a 2.00 GAA and 0.913 SV%, while looking comfortable in the crease despite it having been just over a year since she’d seen game action. She also backed up for a few games, and Boston was impressed by Thiele in practice all last season. So, it’s no surprise they’re trusting her with a bigger role heading into this campaign.
Unsigned draft picks
Forwards
- Jaden Bogden
- Jenna Goodwin
Boston’s two remaining unsigned draftee forwards, Jenna Goodwin and Jaden Bogden, will be in camp. Goodwin is looking to make the jump to the PWHL after spending last season in the SDHL with Frölunda, where she produced 13 points in 26 games. Before that, Goodwin spent four seasons at Clarkson University, where she notched 71 points in 157 career games. Goodwin is a smaller forward at 5’5”, and it’s unlikely she’ll put much offense in the PWHL. However, she’s extremely speedy, which is something the Fleet’s bottom-six could use. Her season in the SDHL also means she’s used to more physicality, which will help ease her transition if she makes the team.
In contrast to the smaller, speedy Goodwin, the 5’10” Bogden is hoping to stay in Boston after six years in the NCAA (she played just two games in 2021-22 due to injury, which preserved the year of eligibility), the past two of which were spent at Northeastern University following her undergraduate career at Clarkson. Bogden’s role at Northeastern was bigger than at Clarkson, which led to a sharp increase in offense. In 99 games with Clarkson, she produced just 19 points, all of which came in her final two seasons. However, in just 67 games at Northeastern, Bogden racked up 36 points, including 22 points in 35 games in 2024-25. Bogden won’t be a big producer in the PWHL, but her size, physicality, and overall reliability should make her a solid depth player if she makes the team.
Defenders
- Maeve Kelly
Maeve Kelly is the Fleet’s only unsigned defensive draft pick. The Fleet picked Kelly in the sixth round (70th overall) out of Boston University. Kelly is a true stay-at-home defender, with just 29 points in 139 games across four seasons. However, she’s gritty and brings good size at 5’9”, and those are two of the biggest things Boston tends to look for in their depth defenders.
Camp invites
Forwards
- Sarah Marchand
- Luisa Welcke
Boston has two undrafted forwards coming to camp as invites. Luisa Welcke is hoping to stay in Boston after spending the past three seasons at Boston University following one at the University of Maine. In total, she tallied 63 points in 131 NCAA games. Should she make the team, it’ll mark the first season Luisa has played without her twin sister, Lilli, who is attending Minnesota’s camp. Welcke’s offensive ceiling in the PWHL likely isn’t high, but her work ethic and 200-foot play could make her a valuable addition. Plus, she already has familiarity with Laura Kluge after playing with her on Team Germany since the 2021-22 season.
Unlike Welcke, Sarah Marchand comes into camp with professional experience. She spent last season with MoDo in the SDHL, where she tallied 25 points in 36 games. Prior to joining the SDHL, Marchand produced 100 points in 146 games across four NCAA seasons, the first two of which were spent at Syracuse University before she transferred to St. Lawrence University. Out of all Boston’s forward camp invites, Marchand likely has the highest offensive ceiling in the PWHL. She’s the kind of slick playmaker the Fleet could use, so look for her to push hard for a spot in camp.
Defenders
- Vivian Hinch
- Olivia Zafuto
For the third straight season, Olivia Zafuto is coming to Boston’s camp as an invite. She didn’t see any game action during her first season with the Fleet. However, she played six games last year (one of which she actually spent as a forward) due to roster injuries. She didn’t produce any points, but Zafuto is proven reliable even with a long stretch between games, and she’s a great player to have around the team. So, expect her to come out of camp with another contract, although it may be just another reserve deal.
As for Vivian Hinch, she’s hoping to make the jump to the PWHL after spending the past four seasons in Canada’s USports collegiate league with St. Francis Xavier University. She’s currently playing in Sweden’s NDHL with Hammarby while waiting for the PWHL season to start, where she’s played two games so far. Hinch has arguably the toughest road to a contract, with the Fleet potentially looking for just two more defenders. After all, she’s the only one of the three defensive invites with no prior connection to the Fleet. Plus, given she already has another professional league to play in, it’ll likely be a full contract or bust for Hinch. That said, it’s not impossible, and Hinch was invited for a reason. She’s tall, standing at 5’11”, and she’s physical, and those are two qualities Boston often looks for in their depth players.
Goaltenders
- Abby Hornung
- Lindsay Reed
- Natalie Stott
By far the most interesting competition in Boston’s camp will be for the third goaltending spot. Three candidates from very different situations will vie for it. Perhaps the most intriguing Boston camp invite, and one of the most intriguing across the league, is Natalie Stott, as she is one of the very rare NCAA Division III players invited to a PWHL training camp.
However, Stott is no ordinary Division III player. The Amherst College alum is arguably the greatest goaltender in NCAA Division III history. She finished her career with a stunning 0.88 GAA and 0.960 SV% across 112 games. That’s the highest career save percentage across any level of NCAA hockey, men’s or women’s. In addition, Stott finished with NCAA DIII records in career wins (86) and shutouts (46). She was also the NESCAC Rookie of the Year in 2022-23, and she was selected to the All-NESCAC and All-American teams in all four seasons. During her career at Amherst, the team also won three NESCAC championships and went to three Frozen Fours, where they advanced to the championship game twice. In short, Stott is an incredibly talented goaltender with a proven track record of success, and she’ll have a legitimate chance at making the roster.
Two former Division I goaltenders will be competing with Stott for a contract. Starting with Lindsay Reed, she’s another non-traditional candidate. She played Division I hockey at Harvard, but she hasn’t played competitively since 2021-22. However, she had strong numbers when she did play, with a 0.927 SV% and 2.45 GAA across 60 career games.
As for Abby Hornung, she is the most traditional goaltending camp invite. She just wrapped up a strong collegiate career with a frequently bad Holy Cross team. However, Hornung did everything she could to change that, with a 1.92 GAA and 0.936 SV% across 55 games. Her play was a big part of how the team took a step forward last season and finished with more wins than losses for the first time since the 2017-18 season.
Given that she just graduated from a DI school, Hornung’s transition to the PWHL would likely be the easiest of the three. However, that doesn’t mean she’s a shoo-in for the job. Third goaltenders rarely see much game action, so it’s not hard to imagine the Fleet being willing to accept a potentially longer adjustment period should Stott or Reed show enough potential once the puck drops on training camp. Until then, it’s a fool’s errand to predict which of the three goaltenders the Fleet will ultimately sign given how different their backgrounds are, but it will certainly be interesting to watch unfold.
All PWHL teams will open their camps on Wednesday, Nov. 18, following the 2026 IIHF Women’s World Championship, which runs from Nov. 6-16. As part of camp, the Fleet will play two preseason scrimmages at Boston Sports Institute in Wellesley, MA. They’ll take on the New York Sirens on Monday, Nov. 23, and the Montréal Victoire on Wednesday, Nov. 25. Boston will then open their season on the road against the New York Sirens on Sunday, Dec. 6.
