In a perfect world, the Boston Fleet would have been prepping to drop the puck in the Professional Women’s Hockey League playoffs on Wednesday yearning to avenge its heartbreaking loss in the finals last May.

But, needing a point against Minnesota in their final game, the Fleet were thumped, 8-1, in Lowell.

The Fleet finished their second season calling the Tsongas Center home in a three-way tie with Minnesota and Ottawa with 44 points. Boston lost in the tiebreaker and fell one point shy of extending its season.

“We were hoping we’d be preparing for a game today or tomorrow, and instead we’re left here to reflect on this year,” Fleet general manager Danielle Marmer said at an end-of-season media availability Wednesday morning. “I really believe our group has a lot to be proud of. We found our game earlier in the season this year than we did last season, we played more consistent hockey and we were in it until the very end.”

Venue undecided

The Fleet debuted in Lowell for the inaugural PWHL season, playing an 11-game home schedule at the Tsongas Center before hosting four thrilling playoff games — one against Montreal and three against Minnesota, including the fifth and final of the finals that triggered prices as high as $375 on the secondary market.

Boston returned for year two with a team name and a newly-minted logo and color scheme, hosting 11 games at Tsongas from Dec. 4-May 3.

But Marmer could not confirm if Tsongas will be the franchise’s primary home in 2025-26.

“I don’t know where we’re at with that, to be totally honest,” Marmer said.

Tsongas was the primary home for Boston, but the team played two games at Agganis Arena on the campus of Boston University. Boston drew crowds of 5,968 and 6,028 in the matchups on Commonwealth Avenue.

By comparison, the Fleet averaged 4,329 fans in Lowell. The slate included a high turnout of 6,032 and a low of 2,854. Marmer told The Sun prior to the season that season ticket memberships increased from 600 to 1,500.

“We love it at the Tsongas Center,” Marmer said. “The fans are incredible and the people who come out to support us. We don’t have a 10,000-seat facility like Coca-Cola (Toronto) or Place Bell (Montreal), but it feels like it when we’re in there. Our fans are so loud — they’re so supportive.”

Marmer said the team represents all of New England.

“I don’t think it’s a requirement or imperative that we’re in Boston,” she said. “It was great when we played at Agganis to see people on the T with their Fleet gear on and being able to draw from a different area, or South Shore, or people who maybe otherwise couldn’t get to Lowell. But I don’t think it impacts our organization or the fans. I expect them to show up regardless of where we play.”

Roster changes loom

The Fleet enjoyed the luxury of being able to carry over a large contingent of their inaugural roster into this season. That won’t be the case moving forward. The PWHL recently announced Vancouver and Seattle to join the league in 2025-26.

Marmer said she hasn’t been informed what the expansion process will look like.

“I think these conversations are happening between the league and the player’s association,” Marmer said. “But we GM’s have not heard how it’s going to affect our rosters yet.”

The 2025 PWHL Draft is June 24.

Knight to return

Star forward Hilary Knight is set to return for the third year of her three-year contract. Knight, one of the six players Boston inked to a three-year deal ahead of the inaugural season, is widely recognized as one of the game’s premier talents.

Knight struggled in year one, posting a 6-5-11 line in 24 regular-season games while being held off the scoresheet in eight playoff games. She flipped the script this season, netting 15-14-29 in 30 games and tied New York’s Sarah Fillier as the league’s top scorer.

“I think there was more confidence in her play,” said Fleet head coach Courtney Kessel. “Last year, she had a lot on her shoulders. We had a culture to build here. There were a lot of things on the move every single day, not just playing hockey, and we were all kind of settling into what this league looks like and what being a professional athlete looks like. It was nice to see her be able to show up, and her shoulders looked a little lighter this year.”

Quick shifts

Marmer said the team hasn’t begun the process of extending players entering the final year of their three-year contracts, including franchise stalwarts Megan Keller, Alina Muller and Aerin Franke.

“This hasn’t been outwardly spoken to us, but the feeling is that the league is going to ask us to sort of stay put until they have plans for expansion and all of those things,” Marmer said of extensions.

The Fleet will also be forced to prepare for more lengthy schedule hiatuses with the upcoming Winter Olympics in February and the world championships in April. Boston was a victim of the injury bug this season, losing players like Muller, Frankel and promising rookie Hannah Bilka to ailments in international tournaments.