With the Professional Women's Hockey League's third season underway, NHL.com staff writer Anna Kulesa will be filing a biweekly notebook on all the happenings in the league. Today, a look at the Fleet clinching a playoff berth and goalie Aerin Frankel's dominant week.
Fleet sail to playoffs
The Boston Fleet clinched the first playoff berth of the PWHL season after they defeated the Minnesota Frost 4-2 on Sunday. It was the Fleet's 13th win of the season and the fastest a PWHL team has clinched a playoff spot since the league started.
The Montreal Victoire, who are in second with 46 points (12-4-2-5), five points behind Boston (13-5-2-4) can clinch a postseason spot with a regulation win against the Vancouver Goldeneyes on Wednesday. Montreal also can clinch with an overtime or shootout win if the New York Sirens lose to the Frost on Wednesday.
Trade deadline
Only one trade happened the day of the PWHL trade deadline, March 30. The Frost traded forward Denisa Křížová to the Sirens for defender Jincy Roese at the deadline on Monday. Roese had six assists in 22 games with the Sirens this season. She was in her first season with New York after playing the two previous seasons with the Ottawa Charge. Křížová had five points (one goal, four assists) in 23 games with the Frost this season. The forward helped Minnesota to their back-to-back championships in 2024 and 2025. It was the third trade in the PWHL this season.
Aerin Frankel = brick wall
There's no getting past Aerin Frankel this season. The Fleet goalie recorded her third straight shutout and seventh of the season in the Fleet's 4-0 win against the Toronto Sceptres on Friday. Frankel has not allowed a goal in 191:01, setting a PWHL record. The star goalie was named PWHL Player of the Week for the week of March 23. Frankel leads the league with 16 wins, a 1.17 goals-against average and a .954 save percentage in 21 games this season.
Knight, Coyne Schofield return
Seattle Torrent captain Hilary Knight and Frost captain Kendall Coyne Schofield returned from injury Sunday. Both gold medal winners were placed on long-term injured reserved after sustaining injuries while playing for the United States during the 2026 Winter Olympics.
In her return, Coyne Schofield had two assists, on goals by forward Lee Stecklein and Taylor Heise, in the Frost's 4-2 loss to the Fleet on Sunday.
Knight had four shots and played 21:40 in the Torrent's 2-0 loss to the Charge on Sunday.
Madison Square Garden showdown
The Sirens and Torrent are set to face off at Madison Square Garden on Saturday. It is the first PWHL game at the "World's Most Famous Arena." The game is sold-out and could set a U.S. attendance record for a women's hockey game, with MSG's capacity of 18,000 fans.
The PWHL announced March 5 that the game was a sell-out.
The Sirens prepared for the game by practicing at the Garden on Tuesday.
