Princeton made it official on Monday in announcing Courtney Kessel’s hiring as coach of the women’s hockey team, a week after the two sides were finalizing the agreement.
Kessel spent the past two years coaching the Boston Fleet and returns to Princeton where she spent four seasons, from 2019-23, as an assistant under Cara Gardner Morey. She now succeeds Gardner Morey, who left the Tigers in May upon being hired as general manager of the PWHL’s expansion team in Vancouver.
The 35-year-old Kessel had a 27-19-8 record in Boston, including a Walter Cup Finals appearance in 2024, which the team lost to Minnesota in a decisive Game 5. This season, the Fleet lost five of their last six games to miss the playoffs.
“It is bittersweet to move on from the Boston Fleet and the amazing people building that organization and the PWHL as a whole,” Kessel said. “This opportunity was the only one that could draw me away from where I was.”
From Toronto, Kessel played at New Hampshire, where she was a 2010 finalist for the Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award, given to the MVP of women’s college hockey. She also represented Canada at three world championships, including a gold-medal win in 2012.
She also has Hockey Canada coaching experience, serving as a senior team assistant in 2024 and head coach of the 2023 gold-medal-winning Under-18 team.
The Fleet have undergone major changes this offseason. Star forward Hilary Knight left Boston to sign with the expansion team in Seattle. The Fleet also have an opening at assistant general manager after Meghan Turner was hired as Seattle’s GM.
“Courtney set the tone from Day 1 and elevated our group with her competitiveness, preparation, and care,” Fleet GM Danielle Marmer said. “She’s already established herself as an elite coach early in her career, and I know she’ll continue to raise the bar as the next head coach at Princeton.”
In other PWHL coaching news, Brian Idalski is leaving St. Cloud State after being hired as coach of Vancouver, the league announced Monday.
The 54-year-old has more than 20 years of women’s hockey coaching experience, including overseeing China’s national team at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics. Idalski also coached the KRS Vanke Rays to two Russian-women’s league ZhHL championships over a three-year period.
Vancouver’s inaugural roster includes former Vanke Rays players, Michela Cava and Hannah Miller, who also played for China in 2022. Idalski’s hiring comes a day before the PWHL draft. Vancouver will select seventh followed by Seattle, with the expansion teams switching the final two spots in each successive round of the six-round draft.
Idalski spent the past three seasons at St. Cloud State, where he earned college hockey coach of the year honors in 2023 after the team tied a school record with 18 wins.
Seattle filled its coaching position last week by hiring Steve O’Rourke.