Boston Fleet Notebook: Attendance, Gabel, and Generating Offense

With the PWHL in an international break, I finally had the time to put together another Fleet notebook. In this one, I discuss ways to jumpstart their offense, the Loren Gabel situation, plus the ever-present Lowell conversation and what the upcoming Agganis games could mean. Keep in mind, these are just my thoughts unless otherwise stated. Now, let's dig in!

Two Suggestions for Unlocking the Fleet’s Offense

It’s no secret that the Fleet’s offense can be described as inconsistent at best and dreadful at worst. However, I still think it's fixably so. Here are two things they should try.

1. Move Alina Müller to the middle.

After leading the Fleet in scoring last season with 16 points in 24 games, Müller opened the season with an eight-game pointless streak. She’s turned it on since, with six points on her current four-game point streak, but the opening slump was completely out of character for the normally consistent producer. Part of that can be attributed to the concussion she suffered on 12/4, which forced her to miss the game against the Sirens on 12/8, but that’s not the only thing that kept her down. It can likely also be attributed to perhaps Courtney Kessel’s most inexplicable coaching decision: putting Müller on the wing.

If I had to guess, Müller playing on the wing has something to do with Kessel's emphasis on physicality, since that’s not her game. However, Müller has been a center her entire career outside the PWHL. She had few issues producing last year, but she also started the year at center, which allowed her to gain confidence early. Then, when she moved to the wing, she often had the benefit of riding alongside Tapani, who is at least a decent fit style-wise. This year, she’s been on Shay Maloney’s wing for numerous games, and while Maloney has done an admirable job in the PWHL, she cannot keep up with the fleet-footed Müller (and Sophie Shirley on the other side). So, my first proposal for fixing the Fleet’s offense is simple: put Müller back in the middle already.

2. Move Hannah Brandt up.

Another thing that the Fleet should be looking into is promoting Hannah Brandt to the top six. Even if Müller moves to the middle, Brandt needs some new linemates, because it’s not working with Rattray and Schafzahl/Saulnier. Brandt showed some good early chemistry with Hannah Bilka during her three games centering her and Hilary Knight early this year, and she and Knight already have great chemistry. Assuming Kessel continues to keep Müller on the wing, moving Brandt up would allow Tapani to play with Müller again, who as mentioned, she saw good results with last year. Plus, it might be able to unlock some offense from Shirley.

It’s difficult to break up the top line of Bilka-Tapani-Knight right now since it’s so successful. However, the Fleet desperately need a more balanced offense. This could be a good start. That said, Brandt could also work with Müller and Shirley, so if they’re not feeling brave enough to break up the top line yet, perhaps they start there. But, no matter what, something has to give offensively for this team.

It’s Time to Make a Decision on Loren Gabel

In the vein of players being asked to fill the wrong role, let’s talk about Loren Gabel. She is not a perfect player, but for a team struggling with offense, it’s baffling to see someone with such a lethal shot healthy scratched five times and mostly buried on the fourth line when she does play. She does not play the physical game Kessel covets, but that makes her presence on the fourth line–which is typically supposed to be your checking line–even more inexplicable. This whole situation benefits no one, so it’s time to make a decision. She showed she still had her scoring touch last year when she played alongside the right players (namely Müller). So, either start moving her up in the lineup or trade her because right now, her value is tanking by the game.

One interesting name that comes to mind is Chloé Aurard in New York, who was Müller’s linemate in college and is in a somewhat similar situation to Gabel. She's doing a bit better, playing mostly on the third line and amassing two goals and two assists in 14 games versus Gabel's one goal in eight games, but I still think it could work as a trade. There are other options out there too, but with the Sirens and Fleet’s recent trade history, this particular swap feels like something that should be explored.

Attendance is Rising in Lowell, but Agganis Seems Like a "New" Market Test

For the first time, the Fleet played a Friday game at the Tsongas Center on Jan. 31, and the 5,908 fans in attendance were good for their third Lowell sellout and third-best crowd ever. It smashed their previous 2024-25 season high of 4,003, set the first time they played the Sirens back on Sunday, December 8, which happens to have been their only weekend game so far. Moreover, their next home game on Sunday, February 16 already appears to be sold out, with just standing-room tickets still available online. The Fleet’s schedule has not been kind to them this season for getting fans in the stands considering Tsongas is 31 miles away from the city, but attendance has been strong when the days are favorable. 

All of this said, the Fleet are slated to play two games in Boston proper this season at Boston University’s Agganis Arena, and it looks like it’s a test. The first one is at 2 p.m. ET on Saturday, March 8 against the Montréal Victoire, and it sold out in less than a day. The second one on Wednesday, March 26 at 7 p.m. ET against the Toronto Sceptres is also selling quickly and will likely be a sellout. I’m not sure why else you’d choose to play a weekend afternoon and a weekday night if you weren’t testing to see how the crowds are in any scenario. I have also heard heavy rumors from sources that the Fleet have wanted to play at Agganis all along, but have been unable to work out a deal with BU.

There are undeniable benefits to moving within the city, and it’s not hard to imagine them drawing better weeknight crowds at a location that’s more easily accessible to the masses. As someone who lives in Boston without a car, I know I wouldn’t complain about not having to take a public transit trek that is often about two hours each way. However, this problem is not so simple. Many current fans who attend games, especially season ticket holders, like the team being in Lowell. I’ve already heard from a handful that they will not be able to continue being season ticket holders if the team leaves Lowell due to travel challenges. So, there is something to be said for location consistency. Take a look at the Sirens this season. They played in three different rinks last season and chose New Jersey after playing there twice late last year and drawing a season-best 5,132 at the first one. However, this years, their crowds have ranged from just 1,569 to 4,346, with an average of 2,782.

I think the Boston market is better set up for quicker success for women’s hockey than New York. However, no matter how you slice it, if they move they’ll be rebuilding at least part of their fanbase in year three, which is not ideal. I’ll be digging into this more once the Agganis games arrive, but for now, all I can say is what seems like a simple problem has a few more layers that must be considered.