On the eve of their home opener, PWHL Boston unveiled their leadership group for the 2024 season. To the surprise of few, Hilary Knight is the franchise’s inaugural captain.
O Captain, My Captain.
We’re thrilled to announce our captains for our inaugural season… with some help from a legendary Boston captain.
Captain: @HilaryKnight
Alternate Captain: @ratt26
Alternate Captain: @megan_keller4 pic.twitter.com/4MnfWY7mMy— PWHL Boston (@PWHL_Boston) January 2, 2024
The announcement came following today’s practice. Jamie Lee Rattray and Megan Keller are the alternate captains.
Much like Poulin in Montréal, Knight, 34, was a no-brainer to be Boston’s captain. Knight signed a three-year contract during free agency with Boston, and she is not only still one of the best players in the world, but a celebrated leader. You don’t get to be Captain America by accident, and she has worn a letter with nearly every team she’s played for that awards them. Boston will be her team until she retires, and fans and management alike can rest easy with someone with her experience at the helm.
As for the alternates, both Rattray and Keller were natural choices. Rattray, 31, is a decorated long-time member of Team Canada who brings a wealth of experience to the table, having also played in the CWHL and PWHPA. Meanwhile, Keller, 27, has been a senior US national team member since she was just 18 years old. The all-time leader in defensive scoring at Boston College (by a long shot), Keller has also recently been recognized as a leader by Team USA, having taken over Knight’s “A” once she was named captain ahead of the 2023 World Championship.
While these three will not be the only leaders in Boston’s room, they form an excellent core for this team to lead on and build around. Not only do they each have a wealth of international experience, but combined, they have experience in each of the previous North American professional leagues. They know what it’s like to win at every level of the sport, and they are excellent choices to lead the charge as Boston looks to become the first PWHL champions.