Home Sweet Home: Fleet Aim To Be Beacon For All Boston Fans

LOWELL, Mass. — The Fleet represent Boston in the PWHL, but their goals are much higher for the landscape of women’s hockey.

When the PWHL launched, it felt natural to have a Boston-based franchise. It’s one of the top hockey markets in North America, and the dominance of Hockey East along with star players with local ties made it a logical choice.

What wasn’t clear was where the franchise would play its home games.

Ultimately, the Tsongas Center at UMass Lowell was chosen after months of discussions with the arena’s general manager, Keith Vaske, a member of the Oak View Group team.

The Fleet, Oak View Group and UMass Lowell collaborated on what was needed from all angles. From locker room space to working with officials in Lowell, Mass., to ensure a smooth commute for fans, the sides committed to creating a welcoming atmosphere for everyone involved.

The commute from Greater Boston to Lowell can be challenging, a fact not lost on all parties.

However, Vaske believes “the beauty” of the Tsongas Center location is it allows the Fleet to welcome fans not just from Boston but also New Hampshire, Vermont and Maine. The team is embracing that New England identity.

“I understand this because I grew up a Boston sports fan who grew up in Vermont,” Fleet general manager Danielle Marmer told NESN.com. “When you are the New England Patriots, the Bruins, the Celtics and these teams, you represent New England. Even though it’s Boston, New England doesn’t have other pro sports teams. There’s not a Vermont team or a New Hampshire team. I recognize very much the importance of representing the region and not just the city. That’s why, for me, playing in Lowell, I don’t even flinch (at) it. I love the community.”

Fan enthusiasm grew after Boston’s run to the finals in its inaugural season. Marmer revealed before this season that season ticket sales increased 150% ahead of a pivotal Year 2. The Fleet averaged 4,149 fans per game this season in the 6,500-seat Tsongas. While that’s technically below the league average in games played at primary home venues, the nightly passion is undeniable.

Often, a big save from goalie Aerin Frankel leads to “Frankel” chants throughout the building, and the support makes an impact.

“Honestly, maybe I’m not paying attention to it, but I’m not hearing that elsewhere,” Marmer said. “Part of it is she played her college career at Northeastern, but the way this city rallies around Aerin Frankel is special. I think she feels it. I think she puts on a show when she plays at the Tsongas Center.”

It’s probably no coincidence Boston is one of the PWHL’s best home teams, with the highest point percentage and fewest goals allowed.

“The energy, it’s palpable,” Marmer said. “It affects us. It changes how we play. It creates momentum and energy. The fans are a big part of our success at home.”

Marmer knows from her playing days at Quinnipiac that players were grateful no matter the number of fans in the stands. The Fleet understand their impact on the community extends beyond the ice, and the organization believes in the vision of the PWHL.

The fans continue to reciprocate that commitment.

“I picked up on it really quick in the first game. As a father of two girls myself, who both are in sports, it was such a cool thing to see girls and youth teams coming in, and their eyes were lighting up,” Vaske told NESN.com. “I can remember going to my first baseball game and that dream of ‘Hey, I’m gonna be an MLB player someday.’ I can almost see it on their forehead through their eyes when they go to the concourse and they see the Fleet players and Hilary Knight. And they were like, ‘Wow!’ You sort of saw that dream like it was when you were a little. That was really, really impactful to me.”

The PWHL’s growth continued in its second season with the inclusion of the “Takeover Tour” games, taking the Fleet across the country. Locally, that also included two games at Agganis Arena in Boston. The goal was to give fans unable to travel to Lowell a chance to support the Fleet. The team drew a sellout crowd of 5,698 fans for the first game, in line with the team’s two sellouts at Tsongas this season.

As for the future of games in Boston, Marmer told NESN.com that was up to the league.

Of course, those Boston games were during the weekend, reducing the impact of traffic, whereas a lot of the Fleet’s home games at Tsongas fall on weeknights. Marmer noted the Fleet aren’t often the first tenant at most venues, making scheduling a challenge.

“The energy, it’s palpable. It affects us. It changes how we play. It creates momentum and energy. The fans are a big part of our success at home.”

Fleet GM Danielle Marmer

There still is value in weekday games for players, and obviously, fans would want as many home games as possible. Balancing both remains an ongoing challenge as the PWHL grows. However, what isn’t disputed is the vibrant fan experience at Tsongas Center.

“When I sit at the stands at a Fleet game, it’s just a different experience than at a Bruins game,” Marmer said. “It’s hard to put into words why and how, but if you’ve been to a Fleet game, you know what I mean by that. It’s just a special community. You might have people who are Googling what offsides means right next to you, but they just want to be part of this movement and part of something I do think brings so many people together.”

Fan enthusiasm continues to grow as they continue to embrace the nautical themes of the franchise. You can catch fans trading sailor hats with players for pucks or bringing in hand-made paper submarines with players’ names on them.

Fleet games often are an inviting atmosphere for members of the LGBTQ+ community and other minority groups, and that won’t change as they continue to grow and strive to be the team for everyone in New England.

Presented by Bauer Hockey: Proudly supporting greatness in women’s hockey.