{"id":1341,"date":"2026-05-27T18:15:54","date_gmt":"2026-05-27T18:15:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bostonrelocationinsider.com\/?p=1341"},"modified":"2026-05-27T18:15:54","modified_gmt":"2026-05-27T18:15:54","slug":"fleets-kris-sparre-leaving-to-coach-pwhl-expansion-team-in-hamilton-ontario","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bostonrelocationinsider.com\/?p=1341","title":{"rendered":"Fleet\u2019s Kris Sparre leaving to coach PWHL expansion team in Hamilton, Ontario"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Kris Sparre, who was named a finalist for PWHL Coach of the Year in his first season with the Fleet, will leave Boston to become the head coach of the PWHL\u2019s expansion team in Hamilton, Ontario. <\/span><\/p>\n

Read more \u2018My family is great\u2019: Two months after controversy, Vrabel says he is balancing football and family<\/a><\/p>\n

Sparre spent one season with the Fleet and guided the team to a record 62 points in the regular season, tied for first in the league. His contract with Boston ran through the 2026-27 season.<\/span><\/p>\n

Sparre and his wife recently welcomed a second child, which may have been a factor in his decision to coach closer to his hometown of Burlington, Ontario, about 15 minutes away from Hamilton.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

\u201cWhile we had hoped to continue building with Kris in Boston, we respect and support his decision to be closer to his young family,\u201d Fleet general manager Danielle Marmer said in a statement. \u201cOpportunities to lead a team in your hometown are rare, and we wish Kris and his family all the best as they begin this new chapter in Hamilton.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Sparre will coach under recently appointed Hamilton GM Meghan Duggan, a three-time US Olympian and Danvers native. <\/span><\/p>\n

The Fleet will now face a coaching search for the second consecutive year, following Courtney Kessel\u2019s departure last June to take the helm at Princeton. Marmer said in the statement that the Fleet are \u201ccommitted to hiring a head coach who not only shares our values but will continue to elevate our team on and off the ice.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhile transitions are never easy, they also create an opportunity to grow and expand on what\u2019s been built over the past three seasons. As the Fleet, we have always championed a team-first culture and remain dedicated to building a team this city can be proud of.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

The Fleet took a step forward under Sparre, earning 18 more points than they did in 2024-25. They allowed 45 goals, the second fewest in the league, and became the first team this season to clinch a playoff spot. <\/span><\/p>\n

Players spoke highly of the first-year coach, attributing their success this season to the culture Sparre built and his insistence that everyone \u2014 from the top-line forwards to the third-string goaltender \u2014 had an equal hand in the team\u2019s success.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt was a very special group where everybody had a really important puzzle piece,\u201d said veteran forward Jill Saulnier. \u201cThat\u2019s rare in sports . . . It\u2019s hard to get yourself in a place where everybody feels valued.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

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Prior to joining the Fleet last summer, Sparre had never been a head coach and had never coached women. He joined the Fleet after a three-year stint as an assistant coach with the San Diego Gulls, the Anaheim Ducks\u2019 AHL affiliate.<\/span><\/p>\n

With a roster shakeup once again looming because of upcoming expansion, Marmer said earlier this month she was looking forward to leaning on her relationship with Sparre through that process.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe more time you have with somebody \u2026 I know what he\u2019s looking for and what he needs,\u201d Marmer said during the team\u2019s breakup day. \u201cHe knows what my expectations are, and I think that it\u2019s going to be a seamless transition \u2026 It gives me a lot of hope in this expansion process.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Fleet captain Megan Keller agreed, saying earlier this month that having consistent leadership would be \u201chuge\u201d for the team entering another round of expansion.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe culture and the structure that we\u2019ve been able to build as a group \u2014 and knowing now who we want to bring in to fit in and play the way that we want to play and be a part of this culture \u2014 is huge,\u201d Keller said. \u201cThat standard is set.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Instead, the Fleet now face similar uncertainty to last offseason, when the league expanded by two teams. <\/span><\/p>\n

Hamilton is one of four expansion teams joining the league for next season along with Las Vegas, San Jose, and Detroit. Of that group, only San Jose has announced its coach: former Toronto Sceptres coach Troy Ryan, who will serve as coach and general manager.<\/span><\/p>\n

This year\u2019s expansion roster-building process \u2014 which will not include a traditional expansion draft but rather multiple signing windows \u2014 will begin June 2 and conclude on June 18. The PWHL entry draft is scheduled for June 17 in Detroit, and free agency opens on June 19. <\/span><\/p>\n

Read more Boston Fleet\u2019s Aerin Frankel a finalist for PWHL MVP<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Sparre, who hails from Burlington, Ontario, spent one season with the Fleet.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1340,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1341","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sport"],"yoast_head":"\nFleet\u2019s Kris Sparre leaving to coach PWHL expansion team in Hamilton, Ontario - Boston Relocation Insider<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/bostonrelocationinsider.com\/?p=1341\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Fleet\u2019s Kris Sparre leaving to coach PWHL expansion team in Hamilton, Ontario - Boston Relocation Insider\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Sparre, who hails from Burlington, Ontario, spent one season with the Fleet.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/bostonrelocationinsider.com\/?p=1341\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Boston Relocation Insider\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-05-27T18:15:54+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"admin\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"admin\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/bostonrelocationinsider.com\\\/?p=1341#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/bostonrelocationinsider.com\\\/?p=1341\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"admin\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/bostonrelocationinsider.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/c08a982d5d5e7124cea9158df226037e\"},\"headline\":\"Fleet\u2019s Kris Sparre leaving to coach PWHL expansion team in Hamilton, Ontario\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-05-27T18:15:54+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/bostonrelocationinsider.com\\\/?p=1341\"},\"wordCount\":766,\"commentCount\":0,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/bostonrelocationinsider.com\\\/?p=1341#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/bostonrelocationinsider.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/05\\\/220a036415f9eb3f2abd6f0caf577066.avif\",\"articleSection\":[\"Sport\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/bostonrelocationinsider.com\\\/?p=1341#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/bostonrelocationinsider.com\\\/?p=1341\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/bostonrelocationinsider.com\\\/?p=1341\",\"name\":\"Fleet\u2019s Kris Sparre leaving to coach PWHL expansion team in Hamilton, Ontario - 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