Boston Fleet captain Megan Keller’s star is rising as her team aims for Walter Cup

Fleet captain Megan Keller still hasn’t fully wrapped her head around hitting one of the biggest shots in Olympic hockey history.

It’s been just a couple of months since Keller and the rest of Team USA were locked in a hurricane of a hockey final against Canada that was too good for just three periods. And in an overtime session where the first team to score won the gold medal, Keller hit a life-changing shot.

It was the kind of play that could even make “Who is Megan Keller?” a response on “Jeopardy!” one day.

But when Keller talks about that accomplishment, she almost instinctively emphasizes the collective.

“It’s been talked about that it’s possibly one of the best women’s hockey teams that has been put on the international stage,” she said. “And we felt, then, we felt the support of our group.”

That emphasis on the team is part of what’s made Keller best-suited to lead the Fleet as they begin their hunt for their first-ever PWHL championship Thursday night in the semifinals of the Walter Cup Playoffs against the Ottawa Charge. And in a moment when Keller could be riding the wave of being a national hero, she’s maintained her trademark cool throughout.

None of this is new for those who are around the team. Fleet head coach Kris Sparre has seen firsthand how much extra attention Keller — who was named captain for the team for the first time ahead of the season — has had to navigate since that Olympic moment.

But he said she’s handled it all like a pro.

“She was on SNL. She’s doing things that most people don’t get to do ever in their lifetime,” he said. “So for as much workload as there is to carry, I think she’s embracing it.”

Sparre said it seems like she has interviews or some other kind of commitment just about everyday.

Outlets from ESPN to People have reached out to the Fleet about Keller. Fleet media relations have had to make a separate email folder just to track her interview requests.

Fleet alternate captain Jamie Lee Rattray remembers that when she won gold with Canada at the 2022 Winter Olympics, she had time to come back and process everything without a PWHL season to play. That’s a luxury Keller hasn’t had.

“She’s had to come back and do that and also play a season on top and she’s done such a phenomenal job of handling herself,” Rattray said. “And she’s done it with such grace and class and then she’s also led us in such a great way to where we are now. So, she hasn’t changed one bit.”

Keller may not have changed, but her life has. She’s still able to go to the grocery store without being swarmed by fans — even though people do recognize her and her teammates more these days, she said.

“But it’s never a bad thing,” she said. “It’s always, they’re just excited, they tell us that they came to our games and whatnot. So, we find that very cool.”

And even if Keller is doing more interviews than she used to, she’s had the comfort of meaningful hockey with the Fleet to keep her busy and focused. For a player that Rattray described as one of the fiercest competitors on the ice, Keller can still balance work with play.

“She’s the first one to laugh at herself or chirp a teammate and stuff like that,” Rattray said. “I think when it comes down to it, she’s just a great competitor. But also just like everyone else she just likes to have fun at the rink.”

Now, for someone who’s already accomplished so much in hockey, there’s a Walter Cup shaped-hole in the trophy case Keller’s still looking to fill.

“Growing up you dream of winning a gold medal. And I never dreamt of winning a Walter Cup. But if that existed that for sure would have been at the top of my list,” Keller said.

“And so now it’s most certainly a dream of mine and a dream of this team’s to bring back a Walter Cup to the City of Boston, the City of Champions. We want to write our legacy in the history books here.”