Casey O’Brien, Laila Edwards, Caroline Harvey named top-three finalists for Patty Kazmaier Award

Credit: © Dave Kallmann /Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

A whole bunch of Badgers are being honored as the best players in college hockey.

On Wednesday, the USA Hockey Foundation announced the three finalists for the Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award, which goes to the best player in NCAA Women’s Hockey. All three come from the University of Wisconsin, the country’s No. 1 team.

Forwards Laila Edwards and Casey O’Brien, along with defender Caroline Harvey, are the three finalists for the prestigious individual honor. It’s the second time in the award’s history that the three finalists are from the same team. In 2013, University of Minnesota stars Amanda Kessel, Megan Bozek and Noora Raty were nominated, with Kessel taking home the trophy.

O’Brien is the only one of the three who has been a previous top-three finalist. She and Badger teammate Kirsten Simms were in the running last year, but both fell out with Cornell senior and current Toronto Sceptres rookie Izzy Daniel.

The fifth-year forward has been on fire from the get-go this season. Along with being a key part in Wisconsin winning another WCHA Championship, O’Brien led the nation in points (83) and assists (58), while ending up seventh in goals with 25, earning WCHA Player of the Year and Forward of the Year honors.

Edwards is just an absolute unit offensively. After an exceptional 2023-24 season that finished with her being named the MVP of the 2024 IIHF Women’s World Championship, the junior finished tied for second in the country in scoring behind O’Brien with 65 points. Edwards also ended up second in the NCAA in goals (30), only trailing Minnesota’s Abbey Murphy.

Harvey is unquestionably the best blueliner in college hockey, bar none. She is dominant at both ends of the rink, having the ability to turn the puck up the ice after creating a turnover herself. The WCHA Defender of the Year led all blueliners in points (58), potting 16 goals and 42 assists, finishing fifth in the country in overall scoring.

It’s no surprise that these three were all named to Team USA’s roster for the upcoming Women’s Worlds.

The winner of the Patty Kaz will be announced on Saturday, March 22. The ceremony will be broadcast live on the NHL Network at 12:30 p.m. ET during the Women’s Frozen Four weekend.

The NCAA Women’s Hockey Tournament gets underway on Thursday. Check out my full tournament preview on Daily Faceoff.