Fleet hire Sparre as head coach
The Boston Fleet hired Kris Sparre as their head coach, the team announced Wednesday.
Sparre is the second head coach in the Fleet's history. Courtney Kessel left Boston in June following two seasons to become Princeton's women's hockey head coach.
The 38-year-old joins the Fleet after three campaigns as an assistant with the AHL's San Diego Gulls, the affiliate for the Anaheim Ducks. Sparre also previously worked in the OHL, serving as an assistant with the Niagara IceDogs and an associate with the Flint Firebirds. Additionally, he spent two seasons in Austria as an assistant with EC Salzburg. The Boston gig marks Sparre's first coaching job in women's hockey.
"What makes Kris such a strong fit is his experience in the AHL, where coaches are constantly balancing the need to win now with the responsibility of developing players - a challenge that mirrors what we face in the PWHL," Fleet general manager Danielle Marmer said. "Our players need to grow and perform in real time, and Kris understands how to create that environment."
The Fleet went 15-10-5 last season and finished with 44 points but missed the playoffs following a three-way tiebreaker with the Ottawa Charge and Minnesota Frost.
"This is an incredible opportunity to be part of a league that has experienced remarkable growth and momentum in recent seasons," Sparre said. "Boston stands as one of the premier sports cities in the world, and I look forward to building a program that is capable of contending for a championship every season."
Boston reached the PWHL Final in the league's inaugural campaign, falling to Minnesota in five games.
The Fleet lost captain Hilary Knight in the PWHL's expansion process this offseason, as well as 2024 first-round pick Hannah Bilka and defender Emily Brown. Boston drafted Clarkson defender Haley Winn second overall in June. The team has also been active in free agency, adding forwards Liz Schepers, Chloe Aurard, Laura Kluge, defenders Zoe Boyd and Rylind MacKinnon, and goaltender Abbey Levy.