Finalists for PWHL Forward, Defender, Goaltender of the Year Announced

On May 13, 14, and 15, the PWHL announced the top three finalists for its position-specific end-of-year awards: Forward of the Year, Defender of the Year, and Goaltender of the Year. The winners of the regular-season awards were chosen by a selection committee, with the three players who received the most voting points named as finalists. The winners of these awards, and the rest of the 2025 PWHL Awards, will be announced on June 25 during the ceremony at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Ottawa.

Forward of the Year

The PWHL Forward of the Year award is “presented to the forward who showcases the most outstanding ability at the position throughout the regular season,” according to the league. The three finalists are Sarah Fillier of the New York Sirens, Hilary Knight of the Boston Fleet, and Marie-Philip Poulin of the Montréal Victoire. 

Sarah Fillier (New York Sirens)

Fillier, the 2024 first overall draft pick for the Sirens, made an immediate impact in her rookie season. She was tied for first in the PWHL for both points and assists, with 29 and 16, respectively. She was also fourth in league goal-scoring with 13 and first in league power play goal-scoring with five. Fillier led the Sirens in nearly all scoring metrics, proving her value to her team. Throughout the season, Fillier recorded a five-game goal streak, the first in PWHL history, and two separate six-game point streaks. Outside of her elite scoring, Fillier was also third in penalty minutes in the PWHL, proving that this skilled player isn’t afraid to get her hands dirty. 

Hilary Knight (Boston Fleet)

Knight is a known name in women’s hockey, but her offensive improvement from Year 1 to Year 2 was notable. She scored 29 points in 30 games to tie Fillier for the league lead, compared to 11 points in 24 games during the 2023-24 season. The Boston captain tallied 14 assists and scored 15 goals, which landed her tied for second in the league in goalscoring. One-fifth of those goals came on Mar. 5, when Knight tallied a hat trick plus an assist against the New York Sirens, the first time in PWHL history a player has included a hat trick in a four-point game. She had two other multi-goal games and seven multi-point performances total, as well as a total of 666 minutes and 26 seconds of time on ice. That’s a lot of hockey… and the most of any forward this season, showing how Knight is a player trusted with big minutes to make big moments. 

Marie-Philip Poulin (Montréal Victoire)

Poulin is a two-time finalist for Forward of the Year, having just lost out to Natalie Spooner in 2024. She led the PWHL in goals with 19, including one hat trick and six game-winning goals, setting a record to prove she really is “Captain Clutch.” The Victoire’s fearless leader was also a stalwart in the faceoff circle, with 403 wins in 669 attempts, both of which led the league. Her +17 plus/minus rating set a league record, as did her goal 11 seconds into the game against the Sirens on May 3, which was the fastest goal in PWHL history. She’s Marie-Philip Poulin - you can always count on her for a goal, and should never count her out of the game. 

Defender of the Year

The PWHL Defender of the Year Award is “presented to the defender who showcases the most outstanding ability at the position throughout the regular season.” This year’s finalists are the Toronto Sceptres’ Renata Fast and the Minnesota Frost’s Sophie Jaques and Claire Thompson. Erin Ambrose of the Montréal Victoire won last year’s award.

Renata Fast (Toronto Sceptres)

Fast helped provide offense, physicality, and reliability for Toronto. She tied Sarah Fillier for the league lead in assists with 16 and tied for scoring among defenders with 22 points. Her six goals included three game-winning tallies, making her the only blueliner with more than one game-winning goal. Fast opened the season with a six-game point streak, the longest by a defender. The Sceptres’ alternate captain was trusted with big minutes, and she led all PWHL skaters in time on ice, with 739 minutes and 45 seconds total, and an average of 24:39 per game. Her 63 hits also topped the league leaderboards. 

Sophie Jaques (Minnesota Frost)

Jaques was a latecomer to the Frost defense corps, arriving in Minnesota courtesy of a trade from Boston in her first season, but she settled into her role as a mainstay on the blueline in 2024-25. With 22 points in 25 games, Jaques tied Fast for most points among defenders, and she was second among her position in both goals and assists. Her seven goals included one power play goal and one of only two shorthanded goals scored by a defender this season. At 0.88 points per game, she was the most offensively efficient defender and fourth among skaters in points per game. Jaques’ +12 rating was second among defenders and tied for fourth in the league for plus-minus.

Claire Thompson (Minnesota Frost)

Thompson, despite taking a year off from hockey to focus on medical school, got down to business immediately. In just her fourth PWHL game on Dec. 19, Thompson, the 2024 third overall draft pick, tallied the first four-point performance of the season with a goal and three assists. This helped her finish third in points among defenders with 18 and assists among defenders with 14, including a league-leading 11 primary assists. Thompson, along with teammate Jaques, helped make the Frost the most offensively productive blueline in the PWHL, with 63 total points in the regular season. Thompson had a five-game assist streak, the only one by a defender, to demonstrate her consistency, but also teed up nine separate teammates for goals, exhibiting her quick thinking. 

Goaltender of the Year

The PWHL Goaltender of the Year Award is presented to “the goaltender who showcases the most outstanding ability at the position throughout the regular season.” This year’s finalists are Ann-Renée Desbiens of the Montréal Victoire, Aerin Frankel of the Boston Fleet, and Gwyneth Philips of the Ottawa Charge. The Toronto Sceptes’ Kristen Campbell won last year’s award.

Ann-Renée Desbiens (Montréal Victoire)

Desbiens was a difference-maker for the Victoire, the regular-season champions. With 15 wins, 1.86 goals against average, and a 0.932 save percentage, she led all netminders in major metrics. Even with an injury that took her out for three games, Desbiens made 21 appearances and only logged four losses, including only two in regulation. She won six straight games this season, as part of a 14-game streak giving up two or fewer goals per game. Her 518 total saves placed her third among goaltenders, yet she was the only goalie to manage a 40-save game. 

Aerin Frankel (Boston Fleet)

Frankel is a two-time Goaltender of the Year finalist, the first for this award. She was the most-utilized goaltender in the PWHL, with 23 starts, 1342:18 minutes played, and a league-leading 591 total saves. Frankel was second in wins with 12 and in save percentage with 0.921, as well as fifth in goals against average with 2.28. Most impressively, Frankel was always cool under pressure. She had five games with 35+ saves and five consecutive wins. Additionally, she proved herself to be the queen of shootouts. Frankel went a perfect 3-0 and blocked 12 out of 13 shootout attempts on her net. 

Gwyneth Philips (Ottawa Charge)

Philips was perhaps a surprising finalist for some, but the way she rose to the challenge in Ottawa certainly deserves acclaim. Following a season-ending injury for Emerance Maschmeyer, Philips was thrust into the starter’s net for the Charge and ultimately backstopped her team to their first playoff appearance. She recorded eight wins in fifteen appearances, including five wins in eight consecutive starts to end the regular season. She logged two shutouts, including her first on Jan. 21 in only her third PWHL start, to become the first PWHL rookie goaltender with a shutout. Her 2.11 goals against average was third-best among starting goalies, and she tied for third in save percentage with 0.919.