After navigating a six-month offseason, the Boston Fleet are ready to hit the ice

For many Boston Fleet players, a six-month offseason presented a puzzle. For Taylor Girard, it was a welcome reprieve.

Girard missed the last month of last season after sustaining an injury to her left knee against Minnesota on April 27. It wasn’t until September that Girard began skating again, but the forward, who put up four goals and two assists last season, is healthy heading into training camp, which began Tuesday.

“I couldn’t really do a lot to start off,” Girard said. “When I actually got home to Michigan, I got in the gym, did stuff, but it looked a lot different than what my typical offseason would be.”

Boston’s inaugural captain, Hilary Knight, 35, posted a TikTok video in July wearing a cast on her left foot. The forward, who has played professionally since 2012, said she’s on track for the start of the season.

“We’re getting there,” Knight said. “We’re gearing up. Training camp is going to be awesome. I’m excited for a healthy year.”

While the lengthy offseason gave players time to rehab injuries, it also meant they had to figure out how to stay in shape and peak in time for camp without overdoing it.

“It was a longer offseason than I had ever experienced before,” said Cami Kronish, who earned a camp invite and will be battling for a roster spot. “So just trying to pace that out and figure out how long we have to rest and when to kick it back into gear was interesting.”

Alina Müller, who played collegiately at Northeastern, headed home to Switzerland for a few months, then flew back to Boston to train with a group of PWHL players who live in Massachusetts, including Kronish, Megan Keller, and Aerin Frankel, as well as some from opposing teams.

But even training with teammates presented an unexpected challenge.

“You’re not sure how much you want to hit your friends on the ice while you’re training,” said defender Sidney Morin. “I think the first time someone gets bumped in in practice will be a wake-up call again.”

Markova arrives

Russian forward Ilona Markova was in town for the first day of camp after there had been questions about the 22-year-old’s ability to secure a visa to play in the United States.

Markova, drafted by the Fleet in the seventh round after seven seasons in Russia’s league, could be the league’s first Russian player. She said she saw playing in North America as the next step in her career.

“We’re really excited to have her over here for camp,” general manager Danielle Marmer said. “Incredibly skilled player, playing the best hockey she can in Russia, and excited to see what she brings here.”

Together again

Veteran forward Amanda Pelkey had a reunion on the first day of camp.

In 2019, Pelkey, a Vermont native, was on the staff of the US U-18 national team. Also on that team? Hannah Bilka, the Fleet’s 2024 first-round draft pick, and Hadley Hartmetz, a 2024 seventh-round pick.

“It just creates different dimensions for me to be excited about,” Pelkey said.

Jump in season ticket sales

Marmer said the Fleet have sold 1,500 season tickets, up from 600 in the league’s inaugural season.

“My understanding is all around the league ticket sales have soared,” Marmer said. “That’s almost triple, if my math is correct, which is just an indicator of the success that this league has had, the impact this league has had, and then just the impact that we’ve had in Boston.”