The Boston Fleet have named Francois Méthot their third head coach in franchise history. The 48-year-old spent the last three seasons as the general manager and head coach of the Rochester Junior Americans in the North American Hockey League (NAHL). He previously served as an associate coach of the team for one season. Méthot succeeds Kris Sparre, who officially departed the team on May 27 to become PWHL Hamilton’s inaugural head coach.
“I can’t express how excited and honored I am to join the Boston Fleet,” Méthot told reporters at his introductory press conference this morning. “It’s been a whirlwind, unexpected. But, getting to talk to Danielle and seeing where the organization is going, and the foundation and the culture that’s been built, especially this past season, got me really excited to join it.”
This is Méthot’s first coaching job in a professional league. However, in addition to his time in the NAHL, he founded Rochester Ice Center Hockey Academy, a training program in Rochester, NY, in 2017. Several PWHL players have taken part in it, including Fleet defender Haley Winn.
“My connection to the women’s game goes way before the PWHL came into existence,” Méthot said. “I retired in 2015 and I started coaching a team, and Haley Winn was on that team. She was 13 years old…And [so], starting with her, and then I started working with other girls that were part of the Bishop Kearney program that now are on the Olympic team…[and] a lot of these women are in the league now. I’ve been helping them individually through the last few years, navigating their own career development.”
While hiring out of the NAHL is a bit surprising, Marmer prioritizes player development, which Méthot has extensive experience with. His program has gained notoriety in the PWHL, with players coming from outside the Rochester area to train with him.
In addition, before he transitioned to coaching, Méthot played professionally as a forward. The Montréal, QC native spent five seasons with the AHL’s Rochester Americans, plus one with the Portland Pirates. He then finished his career with 11 seasons in the German DEL league.
When general manager Danielle Marmer hired Sparre last offseason, she cited his professional coaching experience as a big asset. Méthot does not have that same resumé as a team coach. However, his training program and skill in developing players, along with his playing days, secured him the job anyway.
“The players that he trains in the off-season are elite hockey players,” Marmer told reporters at Méthot’s introductory press conference. “…That combination of experiencing professional hockey from playing and then also working with those athletes, combined with his expertise in development…that’s why I think he’s a great fit to continue building off of what we’ve accomplished last season.”
Méthot’s hiring will hopefully stability to Boston’s head coaching role, which has seen the most turnover of any PWHL team. Family played a major role in Sparre’s departure for Hamilton, while it seemed to play a role in inaugural head coach Courtney Kessel’s transition back to the NCAA as well. In contrast, Méthot specifically cited now as the right time for him family-wise to make the jump away from Rochester. His daughter is off to college, giving him more freedom to further his own career.
Overall, Méthot appears to be another strong hire from Marmer, who is not afraid to elevate coaches to new roles. His experience should make him a seamless fit with the Fleet’s philosophy of balancing player development with immediate results. Meanwhile, his time spent training PWHL players, to rave reviews, will be a major asset, both in recruiting when free agency opens and come training camp in the fall.
