Fleet become first PWHL team to clinch 2026 playoff spot, in record time
The top team in the league is heading to the postseason, while making history along the way.
With a 4-2 win over the Minnesota Frost on Sunday, the Boston Fleet became the first team to clinch a spot in the 2026 Walter Cup Playoffs.
IN FIRST AND NOW FIRST IN 🔥 @PWHL_Boston becomes the first to clinch a spot in the 2026 PWHL Walter Cup Playoffs presented by SharkNinja — the fastest team to do so in PWHL history!
Not only did the Fleet punch its ticket to the postseason for the second time in franchise history, but with six games to go in the regular season, it marks the earliest a team has ever clinched a playoff berth in PWHL history.
That isn’t the only record this Boston team can beat this year. With a regulation win, the team has 51 points thus far, becoming just the second team in league history to reach that mark. One more 60-minute win, and the Fleet would surpass last year’s Montreal Victoire for the most points in a single season. Sunday’s victory also gave Boston its 13th regulation win, tying them with the Toronto Sceptres from the PWHL’s inaugural season for the most in one campaign.
The Fleet now has 18 wins overall, one away from matching Montreal’s record of 19 that it set last year.
It has been quite the turnaround for the Fleet. After missing the playoffs last year after losing to the Frost on the final day of the regular season, Boston has been a dominant team all year long. Despite losing names like Hilary Knight and Hannah Bilka to the expansion Seattle Torrent, a number of names have stepped up. Alina Muller has further solidified her status as one of the best players in the world, while rookie Haley Winn and captain Megan Keller are certainly going to be in the Defender of the Year conversation.
Of course, there’s Aerin Frankel. The odds-on favorite to be named Goaltender of the Year has set a PWHL record with seven shutouts this season, registering a mind-boggling 1.17 goals-against average and .954 save percentage, tying former Sceptres goaltender Kirsten Campbell for most wins in a campaign with 16.
The person who has led this team is Coach of the Year candidate Kris Sparre. In taking over from Courtney Kessel, Sparre has navigated a tricky offseason to build a winning team that has aspirations of winning it all.
The Fleet made it to the playoffs in the league’s inaugural season, with Frankel leading the team to an upset of Montreal in the semifinals before falling to Minnesota in a thrilling five-game series.