The Boston Fleet have named François Méthot the team’s new coach.
Méthot will become the PWHL club’s third coach in three years following the departure of Kris Sparre, who left Boston after one season — a campaign that saw him named a finalist for PWHL Coach of the Year — to take the top job with the PWHL’s expansion team in Hamilton, Ont. Courtney Kessel was the organization’s first coach.
Méthot spent the past three seasons as coach and general manager of the Rochester Junior Americans, a Tier II junior club in the North American Hockey League (NAHL). He has also worked extensively in player development, most notably working with Fleet defender Haley Winn, who is up for Rookie and Defender of the Year honours.
“François stood out throughout the process because of his clear vision for our team and commitment to player development, along with his ability to communicate and build strong relationships,” Boston Fleet general manager Danielle Marmer said in a team statement. “He has a proven track record of developing elite players on both the men’s and women’s sides of the game, including NHL and PWHL athletes.”
Méthot served as the Hockey Director for the Americans’ youth hockey programs and launched a girls’ hockey program that has since grown to eight teams. He also founded the Rochester Ice Hockey Academy in 2017, where he trains top junior, collegiate and pro players. Before his coaching career, Méthot was the Buffalo Sabres’ draft pick, taken with the 54th selection in the 1996 NHL Draft, and went on to play six AHL seasons followed by 11 years in Germany’s top pro league.
“I am thrilled to join the Boston Fleet as head coach,” Méthot said in the team’s release. “This organization has tremendous momentum following an outstanding season, and I’m excited to build upon the strong culture and foundation already in place. I look forward to working alongside this talented group of players and staff as we pursue a championship and continue the proud tradition of excellence that defines Boston sports.”
On Wednesday, the Fleet announced that it had protected captain Megan Keller, goalie Aerin Frankel and Winn as part of the PWHL’s expansion process, leaving top forwards such as Alina Müller and Jessie Eldridge available to the league’s newest teams.
Starting Friday, each expansion team will have a three-day window to acquire five players through signings and, if necessary, a player selection process. Existing teams can lose up to three players under contract for the 2026-27 season during Phase 2 of the six-step process.
