Fleet Re-Sign and Protect Susanna Tapani Ahead of 2026-27 Season

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BOSTON, MA (June 10, 2026) – The Boston Fleet announced today that forward Susanna Tapani has been re-signed to a two-year Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) Standard Player Agreement through the 2027-28 season. With the signing, Tapani is one of the team’s three protected players as part of Phase 3 of the PWHL’s Expansion Player Distribution Process ahead of the 2026-27 season.

Tapani joined the Fleet midway through the inaugural PWHL season after being selected by Minnesota in the fifth round (25th overall) of the inaugural PWHL Draft. Since arriving in Boston, the 33-year-old from Turku, Finland, has become a key contributor, appearing in all 30 regular-season games in 2025-26 and recording 18 points (9G, 9A), while also skating in all four of the Fleet’s playoff games. Across her PWHL career, Tapani has appeared in a league-leading 86 regular-season games with Minnesota and Boston, totaling 49 points (24G, 25A), and has played eight postseason games with the Fleet across two playoff campaigns. Internationally, Tapani is a four-time Olympian and two-time Olympic bronze medalist (2018, 2022), and has represented Finland at 10 IIHF Women’s World Championships, earning one silver medal and six bronze medals. In addition to her hockey accomplishments, Tapani has enjoyed a decorated career in ringette, winning five gold medals with Finland’s national team at the World Ringette Championships (2010, 2016, 2017, 2019, 2020).

During Phase 1 of the process, the team used its three protections to secure defenders Megan Keller and Haley Winn along with goaltender Aerin Frankel.

During Phase 3, existing PWHL teams may protect three players under contract for the 2026-27 season, and/or players on expiring contracts signed during this phase. At the end of this phase, each existing team’s total protected list will consist of six players, and expansion teams will have up to eight total players, each signing a maximum of three players on expiring contracts during this phase. The Phase 3 signing period continues until Friday, June 12 at 3 p.m. ET, followed by a 5 p.m. ET deadline for existing teams to submit their protection lists.

A complete list of player signings and transactions is available on the official PWHL Transactions Page. To see the full overview of the status of PWHL player contracts, visit the PWHL Contract Guide here.

The Boston Fleet are accepting deposits for Season Ticket Memberships for the 2026-27 season. For more information and to place your deposit, visit our website.

ABOUT BOSTON FLEET 

Boston Fleet is one of 12 teams in the newly launched Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL), which was founded in 2023. The PWHL began its inaugural season in January 2024 and features the best women’s hockey players in the world. The PWHL has broken multiple attendance records and holds the worldwide record for a women’s hockey game. For the latest news and information on Boston Fleet, visit boston.thepwhl.com, or follow the team on Facebook and Instagram. Follow the PWHL on all social media platforms @thepwhlofficial.