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Francois Methot becomes third Fleet coach in 3 years

By Thomson Reuters Jun 4, 2026 | 3:06 PM

The Boston Fleet named Francois Methot as their new head coach on Thursday.

Methot, 48, is the PWHL franchise’s third head coach in ​the past three years, following Kris Sparre ‌and Courtney Birchard-Kessel.

Sparre, a finalist for PWHL Coach of the Year honors this past season, departed to become the head coach of the expansion team in Hamilton, Ontario.

Methot spent ‌the ​past three seasons as the coach ⁠and general manager of ⁠the Rochester Junior Americans of the North American Hockey League, compiling a 110-51-17 record.

“Francois stood out throughout the process because of his clear vision ​for our team and commitment to player development, along with his ability to communicate and build ⁠strong relationships,” Fleet general manager ⁠Danielle Marmer said. “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.”

Before coaching, Methot was selected by the Buffalo Sabres with the 54th selection in the 1996 NHL Draft. A forward, he played six ⁠seasons in the American Hockey League and 11 in Germany’s top league.

“I am thrilled to join the Boston Fleet ⁠as head ‌coach,” Methot said in the team’s ⁠release. “This organization has tremendous momentum following an ​outstanding ‌season, and I’m excited to build ​upon the ⁠strong culture and foundation already in place. I look forward to working alongside this talented group of players and staff as we pursue a championship and continue the proud tradition of excellence that defines Boston ​sports.”

–Field Level Media