By: Kelsea Durham | Follow me on Twitter/X @kelseadurham
On Thursday Afternoon, the Boston Fleet announced that they re-signed forwards Jill Saulnier and Sophie Shirley to two-year contracts. Phase five of PWHL expansion provides existing teams an exclusive window to re-sign players on expiring contracts.
The Fleet currently have seven other players signed for the upcoming season. During the draft on Wednesday night the team drafted two forwards and three defenders. During phase six starting June 19 at 12 p.m. ET, there will be an open signing period for all teams, meaning all remaining eligible players on expiring contracts may sign with any of the teams in the league, and undrafted players will also be able to sign anywhere in the league.
Jill Saulnier joined the Fleet in January back in 2025 through a trade with the New York Sirens. Since joining the Fleet, she has played in 48 games and picked up 12 points (three goals, and seven assists). Saulnier is a two-time Olympian with Team Canada, winning gold in 2022 and silver in 2018. She has also appeared in four IIHF Women’s World Championships, earning one gold, two silver, and a bronze medal.
Saulnier is beloved by Fleet fans and the fanbase has gone to the extent to form a “Saulnier Fight Club”. Saulnier took part in the first “legitimate” fight in PWHL history just one month after joining the Fleet. She and Ottawa’s Tereza Vanišová dropped their sticks and threw punches before the linesman got involved. Since this, she has been a fan favorite and beloved by the whole city.
Sophie Shirley has been with the Fleet since the inaugural season after being drafted in the eleventh round. She scored her first career goal on February 2, 2024. Through the seasons, she has appeared in 82 games and has 22 points (eight goals, and 14 assists). This season we saw a career-high for points from Shirley with nine (three goals, and six assists). Prior to the PWHL, Shirley spent her collegiate years with the University of Wisconsin, where she won three National Championships.
These two signings from the Fleet restored some faith from fans after losing their star player Alina Muller to PWHL Hamilton, and a few others to more expansion teams. Fleet social media manager, or as fans call her, fleetmin, has speculated more signings to come during phase six.
The Saulnier and Shirley signings are the first to come after the draft, and there is still one name that the fans are hoping to see in a Fleet jersey next season, Jessie Eldridge. A player received from a trade during this past season who quickly became a fan favorite. Check out my latest article on this topic.
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