Spooner, Poulin, Carpenter named finalists for PWHL Billie Jean King MVP Award
Three of the best offensive players in the world are up for a big-time award.
On Thursday, the PWHL announced that Alex Carpenter (New York), Marie-Philip Poulin (Montreal) and Natalie Spooner have been named finalists for the first Billie Jean King MVP Award.
All three players were also voted finalists for the Forward of the Year Award.
Alex Carpenter, Marie-Philip Poulin, and Natalie Spooner are the finalists for the 2024 Billie Jean King MVP Award!
The Billie Jean King MVP Award is presented to the player considered most valuable to their team's success throughout the regular season.
📰… pic.twitter.com/uyjVqcFsYO
Spooner was the most efficient scorer in the PWHL this season. The Scarborough, Ontario native was the only player to pot 20 goals, earning her Top Goal Scorer honors. She ended up leading the league with 27 points, placing her as the Points Leader as well. Spooner scored seven power-play goals during the regular season, also tops in the PWHL. She posted six multi-goal games, including a hat trick against Boston on Feb. 14. Spooner was a key factor in Toronto finishing first in the PWHL standings.
It almost goes without saying how good Poulin is. She’s Captain Clutch, one of the most decorated players in the game and arguably one of the best hockey players in the world today–regardless of gender. Poulin’s impact was noticeably absent when a lower-body injury kept her out of the lineup for three games in March, in which Montreal lost each time. She ended up tied for second in the PWHL in scoring with 23 points, second in points per game (1.1) behind Spooner.
The player Poulin is tied for second with is Carpenter, a bright spot on an overall underachieving New York team. With eight goals and 15 assists, the Reading, Massachusetts native was part of almost 44% of her team’s goals this season, which saw N.Y. finish at the bottom of the league. Carpenter was an effective player at both ends of the rink, and proved she has the clutch gene in her as well, scoring back-to-back overtime goals earlier in the year.
The Billie Jean King Award is named after the legendary tennis star, who is an advisory board member. Billie Jean King Enterprises was a driving force behind the league’s creation.
Winners of the PWHL Awards will be announced in June.