Fleet hire Francois Methot as new head coach
A new face is coming to the Boston Fleet bench.
On Wednesday, the team announced that Francois Methot has been hired to be the third head coach in franchise history.
Methot takes over after Kris Sparre, a finalist for PWHL Coach of the Year, left the team after one season to become the first head coach of the expansion franchise in Hamilton. He’s the team’s third head coach in three seasons, as the team’s first bench boss, Courtney Kessel, stepped down to become the head coach of Princeton’s women’s hockey team.
jgFleet general manager Danielle Marmer stated that Methot checked many of the boxes the team was looking for in its next head coach.
“He has a proven track record of developing elite players on both the men’s and women’s sides of the game, including NHL and PWHL athletes,” Marmer said in a release. “His perspective is shaped by a 17-year professional playing career and extensive experience developing players at every level. François’ approach aligns closely with the culture, standards, and pursuit of excellence that define the Boston Fleet. We’re excited to welcome him to Boston as we continue building on the strong foundation already in place and pursue our goal of bringing home a Walter Cup.”
Methot’s coaching experience doesn’t have any from the women’s game. He has been the head coach of the Rochester Jr. Americans of the North American Hockey League. The team has had some success in its young history, with the team making it to the East Division Final in all three seasons, as well as the Robertson Cup Semifinal in 2024-25.
While having someone from the men’s game come to coach in the PWHL has worked, particularly with Sparre, Methot hasn’t coached at nearly the same level. Sparre came to the Fleet from the American Hockey League, while Methot joins the organization after coaching in a Tier II junior hockey league. Methot coached youth girls’ teams at the prestigious Bishop Kearney Selects program shortly after retiring, including coaching a young Haley Winn at age 13.
The Montreal native did have an extensive playing career. After a respectable career in the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League, he played six seasons in the AHL, the majority of which were with the Rochester Americans. He then had an 11-year career in the DEL in Germany, winning a league championship with Adler Mannheim in 2006-07.
Methot also represented Canada on a few occasions, playing in the Pacific Cup with the Under-18 team and in the 2005 and 2007 Deutschland Cup.
The Fleet are coming off one of its best seasons in the team’s young history. The team set the record for the earliest Walter Cup Playoff berth in league history, ultimately finishing second in the league. Their postseason run was short-lived, as Boston was eliminated in the semifinals by the Ottawa Charge.