In fitting fashion, the Boston Fleet hosted their first game at Agganis Arena of Boston University on International Women’s Day. In a league-wide effort to expand fanbases, they took on Montreal in an overtime game, ending in the Victoire’s favor. But the sellout crowd cemented Boston as one of the greatest sports cities in the nation, especially for women’s ice hockey. We spoke to Boston Fleet forward, Jillian Dempsey, about what it’s like to have deep ties to Boston sports culture and what the current growth of the sport means to her.
Dempsey’s Boston Roots
Dempsey is all too familiar with Boston sports culture, growing up in Winthrop, Massachusetts. She played her college career for Harvard University and played for the CWHL Boston Blades and PHF Boston Pride in her early pro days. Dempsey also won the famous Beanpot Championship with Harvard in 2010, which is a yearly tournament hosted in Boston between Northeastern, Boston University, Boston College, and Harvard.
For just the second year in a row, the women’s games have been played at TD Garden alongside the men’s teams, home of the Boston Bruins. “When I was competing in it, you hoped to be able to be at the garden someday, just like the men,” Dempsey says. The 2025 Women’s Beanpot final saw a record attendance of 13,279 fans, making it the largest women’s hockey crowd in New England history.
Dempsey noted that watching the recent growth of the college game in Boston is promising, and feels like it draws more eyes to the PWHL. “I think it’s only going to have positive effects and benefits for pro hockey…the perspective of having played in that tournament and seeing where it got to now, it was really special to be able to see the growth since I was in it,” she says.
Professional Women’s Ice Hockey On The Rise In Boston
Before the PWHL, Boston’s professional women’s hockey landscape wasn’t as promising. During Dempsey’s time in the CWHL, players simply played for the love of the game and were just grateful they had a chance to compete at a high level.
Dempsey then spent eight seasons with the Boston Pride, making a salary for the first time as a professional athlete. The city started embracing them as they began bringing more eyes to the game and winning championships. “I feel like we were developing a solid fan base in the city. People who followed Boston sports, especially the Bruins and men's hockey, were starting to know who we were,” Dempsey says.
“We've always had the product. It was a matter of how can we make this more accessible and visible to more people? And this league has been able to take that next step.”
Now, the PWHL is off and running in Boston, with the Fleet making waves in just their second season. So what was the missing piece? Investment from media, sponsors, and brands. As a result, the league and the city have taken the game to the next level.
“We've always had the product. It was a matter of how can we make this more accessible and visible to more people? And this league has been able to take that next step,” Dempsey explains. “There's so many players who were part of the building but don't necessarily get to enjoy being on the ice now with this product.”
The City of Boston’s Diehard Fans
Boston sports fans are known as some of the rowdiest, passionate, most loyal fanbases in the country. It’s a dreaded place for opposing teams to play and truly encapsulates the meaning of “home advantage” in sports. To add onto this reputation, the fans also have the highest of expectations in “Title Town.”
“They are passionate and invested and completely in love with their sports teams. And every season for every team they expect greatness. There's this winning culture where that's the expectation – a trophy,” Dempsey says, explaining how the players feed from their energy. Being a part of Boston sports culture requires a winning mentality, and adding banners to the city’s large pile. No matter the sport, they show up and show out.
The Fleet Have TD Garden On Their Radar
The Fleet’s ultimate goal is to play games at TD Garden on a frequent basis. Dempsey believes that not only can they achieve this with the right financial backing and marketing, but they could also eventually sell it out consistently.
“Being able to see those crowds pour in on a regular basis and get that place full, to me, that would be a real light bulb. ‘We made it now’ kind of a moment. I think that location, the size, and the quality of the venue that the garden is, would really help be that next step in getting more fans,” she says.
For now, Dempsey will continue striving for more progress while living out her dream of representing her home state at the highest level. “Being born and raised here that's like a dream, getting to play for your city. I absolutely take so much pride in that,” she says. As the PWHL’s influence grows, the Fleet are well on their way to propelling the city of Boston and its fanbase to new levels.
