By: Alexis Caines | Follow me on Twitter/X @alexiscaines_
It’s hard to think of the Boston Fleet without thinking of Loren Gabel. She’s been a part of the team since day one. The Kitchener, ON native was taken 22nd overall in the inaugural draft, returning to Boston after an accomplished season with the Boston Pride in the Premier Hockey Federation.
On the ice, Gabel is a skilled competitor. Her career has included many honors, including the Patty Kazmaier Award (2019), a Bronze Medal with Team Canada at the World Championship (2019), two National Championships with Clarkson University, and numerous awards from her season with the Boston Pride, so it’s no surprise that the Fleet wanted to keep her around. She re-signed with the Fleet, anchoring her to a Standard Player Agreement through the 2026-27 season.
Off the ice, she’s been working just as hard; Gabel has been working towards her Master’s Degree since May 2023. On June 9th, she received her Master of Public Safety with a focus on Countering Crime from Wilfrid Laurier University. It will join her Bachelor of Science in Communications and Media Design with minors in both Business and Psychology from Clarkson University, where she played D1 hockey. She told us that her studies combine communications, behavioral science, business principles, and public safety, with an emphasis on crime prevention and community safety.
“The biggest reward has been proving to myself that I could commit to and accomplish something at a high level outside of hockey,” she told Black N’ Gold Productions. “It is rewarding because it has given me another foundation for my future beyond the game, especially in areas I am passionate about like crime prevention and community safety. More than anything, it reinforced that growth doesn’t stop when you are focused on athletics, it can happen in parallel.“
Gabel joins the growing list of PWHL players who are getting their degrees while playing professional hockey. Her teammate of three seasons, Hannah Brandt, just retired to complete her Physician Assistant Program at the UW-Madison.
“Balancing professional athletics and graduate studies required strong time management and discipline,” Gabel said. “Since my program was fully online, I was able to complete coursework around my training, practices, games, and travel schedule. I took one course per semester, with semesters running through the summer, fall, winter, and spring, which allowed me to maintain a manageable workload while continuing my career as a professional athlete.”
PWHL players across the league have continued to prove just how skilled they can be, both at the rink and away. Committing to full-time athletic schedules, including travel, all while putting in work in the classroom. As it’s been said before, if you can see it, you can be it. Gabel, and many others and proving that example to younger generations looking up.
“I am grateful for the support system around me – my family, friends, teammates, coaches, and professors who made it possible to pursue both paths,” she told me. “This accomplishment is something I am proud of because it reflects not only academic growth, but personal growth as well.”
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