There are few people who have had the support in Boston that Jillian Dempsey has had. Last season, PWHL Boston was quite literally fielding calls from Boston’s mayor and other politicians asking them to bring Dempsey home.
And there were attempts made, but it didn’t materialize.
In reality, at the time it made little sense for Boston to give up assets when they could get Dempsey for free this offseason. Now that the invitation has been extended, it’s up to Jillian Dempsey to earn a roster spot in Boston. One of the top professional women’s hockey players for more than a decade, Dempsey certainly knows what it takes to compete and win on the pro stage. But can she crack Boston’s roster?
A look at what Dempsey brings
One thing Jillian Dempsey brings that Boston needed last year, is pace up front. She’s always been a player with good speed and scoring ability. She’s experienced enough to bring versatility to Boston’s lineup where she can play defensive minutes and kill penalties, while also climbing into a scoring role if needed. Dempsey is also one of the best leaders in women’s hockey right now. Having captained the Boston Pride for six seasons prior to the launch of the PWHL, Dempsey is accustomed to that leadership role, and whether it’s from the top six or bottom six, that level of experience is valuable. When it comes to leadership, Dempsey has won three Isobel Cup titles and also a Clarkson Cup title in the CWHL. She was an NWHL league MVP, and the CWHL’s Rookie of the Year to start her pro career after captaining Harvard at the NCAA level. She’s also represented USA at the World Championships. Between her speed, playmaking abilities, leadership, and experience, Dempsey would be a valuable depth addition to Boston, particularly if Gigi Marvin is moving on.
What she’s up against
It would have been easy for Dempsey to crack Boston’s lineup last year, but this season the team enters training camp 11 forwards signed, and draft pick Shay Maloney also heading to camp. That number also doesn’t take into account potential returning players Gigi Marvin, Taylor Wenczkowski, or Amanda Pelkey. Pelkey and Wenczkowski proved crucial to Boston’s playoff run, but Dempsey gives up nothing to this group in terms of ability or skill. Across a regular season, Dempsey has more upside and could likely provide more scoring than this group, but in a bottom six role, it’s also about the intangibles and defensive game.
Can Jillian Dempsey earn a spot?
Of course she can, but it’s not a foregone conclusion. If it was, she’d already be signed. It only seems fitting Dempsey finishes her career in the city she spent her entire career playing for aside from last season when she was drafted by PWHL Montreal. It’s been a trend Montreal continued this year “stealing” players from where others anticipated they’d go including Abby Boreen and Amanda Kessel. But that’s pro hockey. Dempsey certainly seems like a front runner for a roster spot, or at very least a reserve spot in Boston, and nothing would make Boston faithful happier than to see her return to Beantown.
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