Fleet sign Grace Dwyer to three-year contract

One of hockey’s best young blueliners has signed her first pro deal.

On Wednesday, the Boston Fleet announced that the team has signed defender Grace Dwyer to a three-year contract, which will carry through the 2028-29 season.

Dwyer is highly regarded by general manager Danielle Marmer and her staff, as the former Cornell rearguard was the team’s first selection in the 2026 PWHL Draft, when the Fleet took her 10th overall in Detroit in June. She was the first of five Big Red alums to be taken in this year’s draft.

“I am super excited to play in Boston,” Dwyer said in a release. “It has a rich sports tradition, and the Fleet team and coaches are top-notch. I can’t wait to play in front of the passionate fans.”

Dwyer was part of a stagnant defense in Ithaca over her four-year NCAA career. Under head coach Dough Derraugh, the Big Red have been one of the toughest teams in the ECAC. While Cornell isn’t known for being an offensively-dominant squad, the Wynnewood, Penn. native has been a solid two-way player, reaching the 20-point mark twice during her tenure, including a career-high eight goals and 24 points during her sophomore season in 2023-24.

Across her four seasons with the program, including captaining the Big Red during her senior season, Dwyer scored 18 goals and 58 assists for 76 points in 134 games, posting a plus/minus of +36. She was a key part in helping the team win the ECAC Conference Championship in 2025, as well as securing the team’s first Women’s Frozen Four berth since 2019.

Dwyer also has some international hardware to her name. She took home a silver medal with the United States at the 2022 IIHF Under-18 Women’s World Championship.

With Dwyer on the books, the Fleet have 19 players under contract for the 2026-27 campaign. They can’t sign any more players until training camp begins in November.

The Fleet are set to open their fourth season on Dec. 6 against the New York Sirens.