Photo: Kyle Bray/ WBZ NewsRadio
WELLESLEY, Mass. (WBZ NewsRadio) — The Fleet represent Boston's last chance at winning a professional sports championship this spring, but first they will have to get through the Ottawa Charge in the semi-final round of the PWHL playoffs.
The series is tied at one win apiece. Game 3 will be on Friday, May 8 at the Canadian Tire Centre, the same arena where the Ottawa Senators of the NHL play.
"They kind of have all the pressure at home, right?" Fleet Forward Jamie Lee Rattray said at the team's practice in Wellesley on Wednesday. "They have to bring the energy and keep the crowd in it, so, honestly, nothing really changes for us."
Boston's sports fans have suffered one disappointment after another so far in 2026: The Patriots lost in the Super Bowl before head coach Mike Vrabel became embroiled in a scandal involving a former reporter from The Athletic, the Celtics and Bruins were both eliminated in the first rounds of their respective playoffs, and the Red Sox got off to a nightmarish start this season before abruptly firing manager Alex Cora and a handful of coaches.
Then there are the Fleet, a rising darling among Boston's sports fans that has made a name for itself with elite play.
"In Boston we take our sports very seriously and a couple first-round exits aren't always easy," Rattray said in reference to the Celtics and Bruins being eliminated from the NBA and NHL playoffs. "So I think we're going to try our best to keep the run going here and I do love the passionate fans here."
The Fleet are one of the franchises leading the PWHL through an era that may eventually be looked upon as the league's golden age.
On Wednesday, the PWHL announced a new team based out of Detroit, Mich. will join the league in the 2026-27 season.
The new team has yet to be named. It will share Little Caesars Arena with the Pistons of the NBA and the Red Wings of the NHL.
“Detroit has been part of PWHL history since the beginning; from the support shown at our first-ever neutral site game at Little Caesars Arena, the city and fans have helped lead the way for the future of pro women’s hockey,” Amy Scheer, PWHL Executive Vice President of Business Operations, said in an announcement on the league's website.
The PWHL will hold its annual awards ceremony and draft in Detroit on June 16 and 17 in celebration of the new franchise.
WBZ NewsRadio's Kyle Bray (@KyleBrayWBZ) reports.