By: Alexis Caines | Follow me on Twitter/X @alexiscaines_
The Boston Fleet are officially beginning their search for a new head coach. It comes after the shocking news earlier in the week that Kris Sparre was leaving for PWHL Hamilton.
While his reasoning behind his departure makes sense, the news was still a total surprise for many. Sparre joined the Fleet in July 2025, but his single season with the team was special. Before his time, Courtney Kessel served as Head Coach for the first two seasons. Now, the Fleet front office staff will look for their third coach in just three full seasons.
In April, the team announced that Sparre was taking some time away as his wife welcomed the family’s second baby. In his absence, Assistant Coach Stefanie McKeough became the Interim Head Coach. In her one game as bench boss, Boston beat the Vancouver Goldeneyes 5-1.
After the win she spoke to the media saying, “I didn’t know Kris was going to [name me interim], but it’s an honor to have gotten to know some of these girls over the course of two seasons, and new players, whether it was at draft day or a couple weeks ago. I’m super lucky to get to do this and hopefully we keep moving forward here with this group.”
McKeough could be a strong candidate for the opening. She’s familiar with the team and with Sparre’s coaching style, something Boston should hope to embody.
In her final press conference of the season, General Manager Danielle Marmer spoke about how Sparre’s communication style was key in the team’s success. Bringing in someone who is already familiar with it and proven to be a winner could be the right move.
The Fleet could also go in a different direction and bring in someone entirely new. Sparre had no prior connections to Boston as a city. But with such rich hockey history and culture, bringing in someone with familiarity could also be a route they choose.
Marmer didn’t dive into her hiring process in her statement made on Wednesday. She stated, “We are deeply committed to hiring a head coach who not only shares our values but will continue to elevate our team on and off the ice.”
Whoever joins the club will have big shoes to fill. Sparre is leaving the Fleet with 62 regular-season points, a league record. The production he was able to get from top to bottom of the lineup was key to the team’s success. Hamilton is extremely lucky to land him.
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