Is Disjointed Schedule Preventing Fleet From Finding Rythym?

The Boston Fleet have played a very disjointed schedule to begin the PWHL’s second season.

The Fleet returned from their holiday break Friday night against the Toronto Sceptres and looked like a team that hadn’t played in 10 days. Boston dropped its third game of the season as Toronto skated away with the 4-2 victory.

Fleet head coach Courtney Kessel noted the fatigue in her players when she spoke with reporters after the loss.

“I think it looked like we had a long break,” Kessel said, per team-provided video. “… I think we just looked tired, frankly.”

Boston has been unable to find consistency in its play, and the schedule could be partly to blame. The Fleet have played just four games in the month of December due to two breaks lasting more than eight days each. The first was an international break the PWHL took from Dec. 9-16, and the second was the holiday break, which resulted in Boston playing twice in 19 days.

That certainly was less than ideal for the team, and it showed for the Fleet during the opening 20 minutes of their game against the Sceptres. Boston took three straight penalties. As the game went on, the Fleet began to find its rhythm, scoring two power-play goals of its own. 

The Fleet have six games in 16 days, before a third extended break in their schedule from Jan. 12 to 22. It is important to remember that the international breaks, and an “in-season break” were written in the collective bargaining agreement to allow for inclusion for players who didn’t want to miss opportunities to play for their national teams while under contract in the PWHL.

Two additional breaks will occur from Feb. 3-10 for the conclusion of the 2024-25 Rivalry Series, and Apr. 3-25 for the 2025 IIHF Women’s World Championship. The Fleet will bookend the final gap with an Apr. 2 matchup against the Ottawa Charge and Apr. 26 against the Sceptres.

It’s interesting to note that last season, the Fleet won four of its last five games coming off the IIHF World Championships to clinch a playoff berth. Boston is currently in last place with six points and will need to find its game if it hopes to make the postseason.

With expansion potentially on its way and more games being added to the season, there might come a day when players will need to choose between playing professionally in the PWHL or internationally, with a possible exception for the Olympics.