Fleet sign Susanna Tapani to two-year contract
One of the league’s more underrated scorers is staying in New England for a little while longer.
On Wednesday, the Boston Fleet announced that the team has re-signed forward Susanna Tapani to a two-year contract. It’s the Fleet’s first signing of Phase 3 of the 2026 PWHL Expansion Roster Distribution Process.
The deal comes as Tapani’s one-year contract came to an end at the conclusion of the 2025-26 season. With the signing, she is now protected for the remainder of the expansion building process. Tapani joins goaltender Aerin Frankel, as well as defenders Megan Keller and Haley Winn, on the team’s protected list. So far, the Fleet has only lost one player to expansion, as Alina Muller signed a three-year contract with PWHL Hamilton.
Tapani has been a key player for Boston since the inaugural season. She was dealt to the team as part of the first trade in PWHL history, as she and Abby Cook were sent to Boston from Minnesota in exchange for Sophie Jaques. The move paid off for both sides, as Tapani added some more offense to a Fleet team that has struggled to put the puck in the net at times.
The Turku, Finland native is coming off back-to-back 18-point seasons, having scored a career-high 11 goals during the 2024-25 campaign. This year, she notched nine goals and nine assists in 30 games, helping the Fleet clinch a spot in the Walter Cup Playoffs for the second time, with the team finishing second in the league standings. Tapani failed to post a point in the team’s opening-round series, where Boston fell to the Ottawa Charge in four games.
In 86 regular-season games in the PWHL, Tapani has scored 24 goals and 25 assists for 49 points, with another four points in 12 postseason contests.
On top of her PWHL tenure, the 33-year-old has an extensive international resume. She has claimed the bronze medal at the IIHF Women’s World Championship 10 times, including a silver medal at the controversial 2019 tournament, as well as bronze medals at the 2018 and 2022 Winter Olympics.
The Fleet can still protect up to two more players during this phase. Phase 3 of the expansion process continues through 3 p.m. ET on June 12.