Troiani Rink Report

The Fleet introduced Kris Sparre as the second coach in franchise history during a press conference at the Boston Sports Institute on July 23. He was joined in the Fleet offices by general manager Danielle Marmer for the announcement.

Here are five takeaways from the insightful press conference:

On Marmer’s decision to hire Sparre as the franchise’s new coach

Marmer stated in a team statement that Sparre’s experience coaching in the AHL stood out because “coaches are constantly balancing the need to win now with the responsibility of developing players.” Marmer expanded on her thoughts during the press conference.

“It’s a combination of a skill set that he has and his experience,” Marmer told reporters at Boston Sports Institute, per team-provided video of the realization that Sparre was the right person for the job. “What came through very strongly in the interview process and was also reinforced in conversations I had with coaches who worked with him and with players who played before him, is he’s an elite communicator. And he’s really clear in his expectations.”

On Sparre’s intention to build an open dialogue with the players

After the roster overhaul the Fleet underwent during the expansion draft and exclusive signing window, Sparre said he is up to the challenge of building rapport with his players.

“I believe my strengths as a coach are my ability to communicate a message effectively and my ability to build strong relationships with our players,” Sparre told reporters at Boston Sports Institute, per team-provided video. “For me, coaches, there’s so many things that go into a day-to-day basis. But when you’re talking about an individual player, I think that individuals need to know two things at all times. They need to know where they stand on the team at that current moment, which is a long way of saying, ‘What’s my role on the team?’ And they need to know where are their opportunities for growth. Meaning, how can you change that narrative where they are right now?”

“It’s our job as coaches to guide them through that process and articulate that through them so they feel significant to the team. It’s also our job to be humble enough to listen to them. These are the best players in the world, the best women’s hockey players in the world. They’ve worked at the highest levels of hockey. (…) So, for us, we’ve got to be humble enough to say, ‘Hey, you know what? We can learn a lot from them too.’ And take that collaborative approach.”

On how the Fleet will integrate its youth with its veterans

Sparre began stating, “With change comes opportunity.” And he believes the Fleet has the perfect opportunity to avoid entering a “rebuild” in Boston.

“This is a wonderful opportunity for these young prospects to come in,” he said. “I look at Haley Winn. I look at Ella Hooper. They should be able to come in and make our team. So, we’re going to have that piece in place with these youthful prospects.

“Then you have Megan Keller, Alina Muller. These are elite-level players, and we are going to blend them all together. We’re going to have some time in our training camp, and we’re going to do team bonding, team building, things like that to bring us closer together.”

Sparre’s vision for a new style of play, very familiar in Boston, he intends to implement this season

“I can promise you that moving forward, the Boston Fleet are going to be a very, very difficult team to play against. We are going to be suffocating in every area of the ice, and we’re going to build a culture where we crave the work. We’re going to have everybody coming in every single day, excited about putting in the work, and we’re going to do extra. We’re going to do more than the regular teams are willing to do because we know that the results are going to pay off in the end.”

“We’re going to be aggressive,” Sparre said. “I can tell you right now, when you watch the way the Boston Fleet play this year, it’s going be a very, very aggressive style of hockey and a suffocating style of hockey. And to where that shows up, to just give you a little bit more, is we don’t have the puck. I believe the team’s on defense.

“So, whether we’re forechecking, whether we’re in the defensive zone, if the puck is not on a Boston Fleet stick, we’re on defense. And we’re going to be very organized as a group on how to get that thing back. Because if you’re not organized, you don’t get it back quick. And our emphasis is to get it back as quick as you can.”

Sparre added: “Now, when we have the puck, we’re not going to be a team that just dumps and chases every time. We want to hold on to it. We want to possess it, and if you want to get the puck back from us, you got to work to get it.

“But, I can tell you right now that the first thing that’s going to stand out is the aggressive mentality, and we’re going to be physical. Yeah, we’re going to be a physical team at both nets, and we’re going to be extremely hard to play against.”

On how the team’s success will revolve around the players

“I feel like the most important part of our team moving forward will be the team,” he said. “If you’re the 13th forward on our team, you’re going to be significant to the process. If you’re the eighth defenseman, you’re going to be significant to the process. If you’re our third-string goalie, you’re going to be significant. Our team, nothing is going to be more important than our team.”

Sparre added: “As the process goes, we’re going to continue to push toward (coming together as a group). That’s going to be where we’re going to find success.”

Training camp is slated for November, with the final roster and dates to be determined at a later date.

More PWHL: Fleet Name Kris Sparre As Second Coach In Franchise History