PWHL

The Fleet opted to leave the Swiss center unprotected in the first phase of the PWHL’s expansion process, leaving her open to be signed by any of the four new teams.

By Emma Healy, The Boston Globe

June 7, 2026 | 5:02 PM

2 minutes to read

Fleet star Alina Müller is headed to Hamilton on a three-year deal and will reunite with former Boston coach Kris Sparre as one of the expansion team’s first signings, a source confirmed to the Globe.

The Fleet opted to leave the Swiss center unprotected in the first phase of the PWHL’s expansion process, leaving her open to be signed by any of the four new teams — Hamilton, Las Vegas, Detroit, and San Jose.

Müller was under contract with the Fleet until 2027-28, which meant she could not be forcibly signed by an expansion team using the binding Expansion Franchise Offer contract. But the league’s expansion rules stipulate that any player left unprotected is eligible to sign with an expansion team during Phase 2 of the six-phase process.

The move comes as a surprise given Müller, who played a stellar five-year career at Northeastern, said at the Fleet’s breakup day in May that she wanted to remain in Boston.

“I think I showed it, and I say it everywhere that this is the place I want to play hockey,” Müller said. “I’ll do everything I can to stay, [but] it’s out of my power now.”

Fleet general manager Danielle Marmer, who opted to use her three Phase 1 protections on the defensive core of Megan Keller, Haley Winn, and Aerin Frankel, said Thursday she was optimistic that she would be able to re-sign Müller.

“It strictly came down to the strategy and the path that I felt was best to move forward in rebuilding this team,” Marmer said of her decision not to protect Müller. “I told her how much she means — I’m going to get emotional — how much she means to this organization and this city. I told her I love her, and that starting now it’s the path to get her back here in Boston.”

Müller will reunite with Sparre, a finalist for Coach of the Year. Sparre departed after one standout season with the Fleet to join Hamilton, about 20 minutes from his hometown of Burlington, Ontario.

Hamilton has announced the signing of two players since the Phase 2 signing window opened Friday. She joins former Ottawa Charge captain Brianne Jenner and former New York Sirens goalie Kayle Osborne, who both signed three-year standard player agreements.

Hamilton has until 1 p.m. on Monday to sign two more players. If the team fails to reach five signings, there will be a player selection process Monday evening.

Boston and the seven other existing teams can lose a maximum of three players who are under contract for the 2026-27 season during this phase.

Müller was third on the Fleet with 21 points (four goals, team-high 17 assists) in 30 games last season. She had a team-high four points in the postseason with a goal and three assists.

She scored in overtime to help Switzerland claim the bronze medal at the Milan Cortina Olympics. She also won bronze in 2014.

Müller was the first European selected in the PWHL Draft, when the Fleet took her with the third pick in 2023. In three seasons, she had 16 goals and 40 assists in 80 games.