Francois Methot of Montreal, Quebec has been named the new head coach of the Boston Fleet of the Professional Women’s Hockey League according to Alexis Beckett of ABC Sports. Methot becomes the third Canadian coach to coach the Fleet. He follows Courtney Birchard-Kessel of Etobicoke, Ontario, and Kris Sparre of Mississauga, Ontario.
A job opening popped up in Boston as Sparre accepted the head coaching job in Hamilton. The Hamilton franchise in the PWHL is one of four expansion franchises in the 2026-27 season. Hamilton is joined by Detroit, San Jose and Las Vegas.
Methot spent the last three years as the head coach and general manager of the Rochester Jr. Americans of the North American Hockey League. The NAHL currently has 34 teams and has emerged as an alternate league for the Canadian Hockey League. Ironically, even though the NAHL has 34 teams, they are all based in the United States. Meanwhile, the Canadian Hockey League has nine teams based in the United States.
Meanwhile, Methot was drafted in the third round, 54th overall, by the Buffalo Sabres in the 1996 National Hockey League draft as a centre, but never played int the NHL. Methot plated six seasons in the American Hockey League and 11 seasons in Germany.
