The Olympics are nothing new for Boston Fleet captain Megan Keller.
Keller, who has a gold medal from the 2018 Winter Games and a silver from 2022, will be on the roster again this year when the U.S. team takes the ice in Italy. But she still recognizes how special it is to play on this stage.
“You know, doing it once, you don’t know how many opportunities you’re gonna get, if it’s ever gonna come around again,” Keller said. “So to be able to do it a third time, represent my country, yeah I think it means more and more each time. And just really excited for the chance. And it’s a great honor to be able to be able to do so.”
What is new this time around is the league Keller will be representing.
This will be the first Winter Olympics since the PWHL started its inaugural regular season in 2024. Back then, it was a big moment for a sport that had lacked one unified league for North America.
Now, with a few years of experience under its belt, the PWHL will be well represented on American, Canadian and other rosters making their way to Italy. And Keller and others are excited for what that will mean for Olympic competition.
“You’re gonna see a higher intensity, for sure,” Keller said.
American and Canadians
This year, the United States roster will feature 16 PWHL players out of its 23 total spots. The remaining players will be from the college ranks.
Among the Americans will be three members of the Fleet: Keller, goalie Aerin Frankel and rookie defender Haley Winn.
“You know I was saying, like, iron sharpens iron,” Keller said. “And now to have everybody that’s going to be going to the Olympics for the most part, outside of some college players, playing in the PWHL, it’s just gonna grow the game and elevate it even more at the Olympics.”
This will be the first Olympics for both Frankel and Winn. Frankel’s save percentage of 0.947 is the best of any goalie who has played at least 600 minutes in the PWHL this season.
And Winn has hit a goal and racked up five assists in her rookie season. She said that it’s been a goal to make it to the games ever since she started playing hockey. And she’s excited to be playing with two of her Fleet teammates.
“It’s crazy to think that, you know, this is [Frankel’s] first Olympics. She’s like a veteran in my eyes just 'cause of her play and just the way she carries herself,” Winn said. “But it’s so special to have those two by your side. They’ve both taken me under their wing on the national team and here. And it’s just super nice to have 'em.”
Looking at the Canadian side, the PWHL presence is even more dramatic: Every single member of the Canadian roster plays in the PWHL. And while no Fleet players will be on the team up north this time around, Boston will still have plenty of representation on other international squads.
Global representation
While the PWHL aimed to create a home for women’s hockey on the American continent, it wasn’t stopping at just Americans and Canadians. It wanted the best players in the world.
That’s evident in the number of Olympians from outside the States just on the Fleet’s roster alone.
Forward Alina Müller will be representing her native Switzerland for the fourth time in the Olympics. Forward Laura Kluge is gonna lace up for Germany. And defender Daniela Pejšová will skate for Czechia.
Forward Susanna Tapani will be playing in the Olympics for the fourth time with Finland. And her squad will be looking to level up after finishing with bronze medals in 2022 and 2018.
This year, four PWHL players including Tapani will play for Finland. And Tapani says having the experience of playing with and against other Olympians is gonna help her.
“I know all the players, it kind of gives you a little confidence to kind of know what they’re gonna do before they even do it on the ice,” she said.
Still, she acknowledged that with only four PWHL players on Finland’s roster, the familiarity of the league benefits a couple of other teams first.
Yeah, I think it definitely, it helps more USA and Canada, unfortunately,“ Tapani said with a chuckle.
Team USA is scheduled to play Czechia, Finland, Switzerland and Canada in the Olympic preliminaries. Which means Fleet teammates will be on opposite sides of the ice.
Fleet captain Megan Keller is excited to see that Boston representation in Italy. But when it’s gametime, she’ll be all business for the red, white and blue.
”Just have to flip that switch when you get over there and you’re on opposite teams. We’re not really friends or teammates any more on the ice, unfortunately,“ she said with a laugh. ”I think just seeing the day-to-day knowing that they’re great players and you’re gonna have to be ready to play when you suit up against them.“
