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Boston Fleet coach Courtney Kessel stepping down to lead Princeton women’s hockey program
Kessel will return to Princeton after she spent four seasons as an assistant coach for the Tigers from 2019-23.
The Boston Fleet lost their captain to PWHL expansion, and now, they’re losing their coach, too.
Courtney Kessel is stepping down from her post to become the head coach of the Princeton women’s hockey team, according to a team source.
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The source spoke on the condition of anonymity because the deal has not yet been finalized.
Kessel will return to Princeton after she spent four seasons as an assistant coach for the Tigers from 2019-23.
Kessel hopes her two years coaching at the professional level will help the Princeton players make the transition from college to the pros, the source said.
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The job at Princeton opened when Cara Gardner-Morey vacated the role in May to become the general manager of the PWHL’s Vancouver expansion team.
Kessel was named the first coach of PWHL Boston in September 2023 and led the team to a 17-10-8-19 record across two seasons, as well as a trip to the Walter Cup Final in the inaugural season. The Fleet came up just short in that series, losing to Minnesota in five games.
The Fleet missed the postseason this year after a loss in the regular-season finale. They finished 9-6-5-10.
Boston will now begin a coaching search alongside expansion teams Vancouver and Seattle, which have yet to name coaches.
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The new coach of the Fleet will be tasked with overseeing a leadership transition on the ice.
Hilary Knight, the Fleet’s inaugural captain and the most decorated player in the history of the sport, signed a one-year contract with PWHL Seattle, marking a seismic shift in Boston’s forward group. The Fleet opted to leave Knight unprotected in expansion, instead going with young star Alina Müller to lead the forwards.
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