PWHL Players of the Week: Grace Zumwinkle, Ashton Bell, Corinne Schroeder become the league’s first stars

In part of Daily Faceoff’s continuing coverage of the PWHL, Hunter Crowther and I will take a look at the best player by position each week during the inaugural Professional Women’s Hockey League season.

With week one out of the way, here’s a look at who stood out the most:

Grace Zumwinkle (F, Minnesota)

Maybe the biggest performance from the season’s first few games came in front of the largest audience. With a record crowd of 13,316 inside the Xcel Energy Center this past Saturday, Grace Zumwinkle put on a show for the passionate fans in the State of Hockey.

Against a daunting Montreal lineup, the former Minnesota Golden Gopher potted the first hat trick in league history, leading Minnesota to a 3-0 win. In doing so, Zumwinkle can say she scored the PWHL’s first natural hat trick.

One of the many talented college rookies to watch this season, Zumwinkle also scored what ended up being the game-winning goal in Minnesota’s 3-2 win over Boston last Wednesday. She had four tallies on the week, helping Minnesota become the only team to win its first two games.

Minnesota has a few days off before taking on Toronto in St. Paul on Wednesday.

Ashton Bell (D, Ottawa)

Though Ottawa lost the first overtime game in league history, falling 3-2 to Montreal last Tuesday, the team’s second-round pick showed her potential.

Bell picked up primary assists on both Ottawa goals in front of the jam-packed TD Place crowd, setting up Hayley Scamurra and Kateřina Mrázová for their first markers in the new league.

The former Minnesota-Duluth standout ended the game as a +1 and is expected to lead a D-core that features American national team star Savannah Harmon.

Ottawa’s second game will be on the road against Boston on Monday night.

Corinne Schroeder (G, New York)

While the performances from Minnesota’s two netminders, Nicole Hensley and Maddie Rooney, could have earned this week’s honors, I have to go with the one who stood tall in the first game of the season.

Schroeder beat out Team USA backup Abbey Levy to earn the start on New Year’s Day. Schroeder proved why she was the Premier Hockey Federation’s top goaltender last season by snagging a shutout to kick off her career.

While her teammate Ella Shelton gave New York an early lead, Schroeder held off a Toronto attack in the second period, turning away 16 shots in the frame. Nothing Sarah Nurse and Natalie Spooner did could beat the former Boston Pride star, as Schroeder earned the first win and shutout in league history. Schroeder’s 29-save performance helped N.Y. skate away with a 4-0 win.

As Levy played against Toronto this past Friday, expect to see Schroeder back in net when New York hosts Montreal on Wednesday.