Boston Fleet’s Alina Muller in concussion protocol, out of Sunday’s squad

Müller was injured last Wednesday in the Fleet’s 2-1 loss in their home opener against the Minnesota Frost. Late in the second period, Müller received a high hit from Frost defender Maggie Flaherty. The hit was originally considered a major penalty, but was downgraded to a minor after video review revealed that Flaherty’s outstretched arm “accidentally” came into contact with Mueller.

The Swiss star left the game and did not return. Müller only played 9:15 in the defeat. The PWHL somewhat corrected its decision and suspended Flaherty for two games. The Player Safety Committee deemed the act “unsafe and dangerous.”

The loss of Müller is a huge loss for the fleet. During the team’s inaugural season, she led the team in scoring, scoring five goals and 16 points in 24 games. She recorded three assists, including two goals in the series against Minnesota, on the team’s path to the PWHL finals. Their scoring prowess will be missed by a team that has only scored twice so far this season.

In two games this season, the 26-year-old has no points with a plus/minus of -2 while averaging less than 15 minutes of ice time per game.

Müller was the first draft pick in franchise history as Boston took third overall in the 2023 PWHL Draft as the top forward of the 2018 Olympic Tournament. She entered the league after a successful career at Northeastern University and established herself as one of the best players in the world during her numerous appearances on the international stage with Switzerland.

The Fleet (0-0-0-2) is the only team in the league to have lost each of its first two regular-season games.

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