Ranking the top 20 PWHL players in league history so far
The Professional Women’s Hockey League has taken the sporting world by storm over the past 24 months. From hastily putting the league together in a short span to becoming one of the biggest breakthroughs in sports in recent years, the PWHL has gotten off to a great start, with the foundation laid for a prosperous future.
A lot of the credit has to go to the players on the ice. With the first true best-on-best pro league, fans have been treated to thrilling games since the puck dropped on New Year’s Day in 2024. From established legends to rising stars, the PWHL has seen many athletes experience time in the limelight on a daily basis.
Today, I look at the 20 best players in the first two years of the league.
Honorable Mention: Emerance Maschmeyer, Goaltender (Ottawa, Vancouver)
Speaking of Maschmeyer, there was no more important player in the first year and a half of the franchise than the Canadian National Team mainstay. She almost got Ottawa to the playoffs in year one, and had she not lost the starting job to injury last season, she might still be with the team. Yet, she can maintain her status as one of the best in the league in Western Canada.
20. Gwyneth Philips, Goaltender (Ottawa Charge)
Had she played the full year, I think Philips would’ve been a little higher on this list. That doesn’t take away what she was able to accomplish this past spring. Along with winning gold with Team USA at the IIHF Women’s World Championship, the Northeastern star pushed the Charge to their first playoff berth and dragged the team to the PWHL Final, earning postseason MVP honors along the way. With Emerance Maschmeyer gone, Philips has to prove the end to last season wasn’t a flash in the pan.
19. Hannah Miller, Forward (Toronto, Vancouver)
With both Natalie Spooner and Sarah Nurse missing considerable time last year due to injury, Miller managed to step up when Toronto needed it most. She ended up posting career highs in goals (10), assists (14) and points (24), finishing second on the Sceptres in scoring, tied for fifth in the PWHL in points.
18. Alina Müller, Forward (Boston Fleet)
In the inaugural season, when it seemed like Boston couldn’t score a goal, Müller managed to bring excitement with her playmaking ability that led to her becoming a star on the international and college scenes. Her performance during the first-ever PWHL Playoffs helped Boston get to the final, scoring twice against Minnesota, including the double-overtime goal in the chaotic Game 4. Despite an early-season injury in 2024-25, the Swiss sensation had an even better season, finishing with a career-best 19 points, even though the Fleet missed the playoffs.
17. Tereza Vanišová, Forward (Ottawa, Vancouver)
Vanišová’s performance last season put her on MVP watch. After Ottawa struggled to score in its inaugural season, the Czech star found her touch in 2024-25, leading the team in scoring with 22 points, playing a key role in helping the team get to the playoffs. Her cutch gene made her a hot commodity in free agency, hence why Vancouver scooped her up.
16. Taylor Heise, Forward (Minnesota Frost)
Coming out of the University of Minnesota, expectations were high for Heise. She was the first-ever draft pick in the history of the league and ended up getting off to a hot start in year one. Injuries limited the American to just 19 games during the regular season, but she turned things up in the playoffs, leading all skaters with five goals, becoming the first-ever playoff MVP. After scoring 22 points during the 2024-25 regular season, Heise’s seven points in the playoffs helped the Frost win a second straight Walter Cup.
15. Kristen Campbell, Goaltender (Toronto, Vancouver)
With so many great goaltenders in the league, it might be surprising that Campbell is the active leader in wins. In her two years in Toronto, the Manitoba native appeared in more games (51), regular season and playoff, than any other goaltender in the league, with her combined 28 victories putting her ahead of the rest. The 2024 Goaltender of the Year was a huge reason the team finished with the best record in the PWHL in its inaugural season, being a key part of the Sceptres’ second-place finish this past year. Now, with upstart Vancouver, she’ll be part of a stellar veteran tandem with Maschmeyer.
14. Natalie Spooner, Forward (Toronto Sceptres)
Had she not been injured in the 2024 playoffs, Toronto would’ve won the first Walter Cup, hands down. That’s how much of a dominant force Spooner was in the league’s first season. The only player to have scored 20 goals in a season so far, the Scarborough native was the league’s first MVP and leading scorer. She probably would’ve been higher up on this list if she hadn’t missed the first chunk of last season on LTIR recovering from the knee injury, not producing at a high rate when she did return to action.
13. Renata Fast, Defender (Toronto Sceptres)
Fast had a solid first season on a Toronto team that finished with the league’s best record. However, when the Sceptres got off to a slow start this past year, and her longtime defense partner, Jocelyne Larocque, was shipped off to Ottawa, many wondered if Fast could perform at a high level. The Burlington, Ont. native did that, and then some. She finished tied for the most points by a defender, scoring 22 points in 30 games, and was a finalist for league MVP while being named the defender of the year.
12. Hilary Knight, Forward (Boston, Seattle)
Knight has been the contrary of Spooner. Due to an alleged injury, the longtime captain of Team USA wasn’t much of a factor in Boston’s first season, despite the team making it to the PWHL Final. However, in year two, the Idaho native proved that she could be productive in the pro game, leading the scoring attack on a Fleet team that struggled to score at times. Knight finished with 29 points, ending up tied for the league lead, sharing the 2024-25 Points Leader Award with New York Sirens rookie Sarah Fillier.
11. Sophie Jaques, Defender (Boston, Minnesota, Vancouver)
Some people believed, based on how her career started with Boston, that Jaques was going to be a bust. The 2023 Patty Kazmaier winner didn’t seem comfortable with the pro game, leading the team to move her to Minnesota in the PWHL’s first-ever trade. The move paid off immediately. Jaques came out of her shell, showing what made her a great player in college. She was a crucial piece in both of Minnesota’s championship runs, finishing third and second in playoff scoring each year, respectively.
10. Kendall Coyne Schofield, Forward (Minnesota Frost)
Leading that Minnesota team has been one of the best players of this generation. The Frost’s captain has lifted the Walter Cup over her head twice so far because of the qualities she brings to the table, on and off the ice. Even when the team has gone through struggles in the second half of the season, twice, the Illinois native has managed to continue to chug along and keep herself among the league’s best scorers. This past year, her 24 points placed her tied for fifth in the PWHL.
9. Laura Stacey, Forward (Montreal Victoire)
Electrifying and fast with the size to boot, Stacey has been a tough player to stop in the first two years of the league. Playing alongside her partner, Marie-Philip Poulin, the Kleingburg, Ont. native has racked up points in bunches, and is one of the major reasons the Victoire have been one of the best teams during the regular season. Even though she missed a few games this past season, Stacey managed to score 22 points, good for eighth in the PWHL in scoring, second behind Poulin for the second year in a row.
8. Sarah Nurse, Forward (Toronto, Vancouver)
While many in Toronto are sad to see Nurse leave town, Vancouver is enthralled to have one of the best players in the world coming to their team. Nurse posted big numbers on a line with Spooner during the PWHL’s first season, finishing tied for second in the league with 23 points. A late-season injury and the absence of Spooner early on in the season led to Nurse’s production falling this past season, but she still has the skill that places her in a different realm.
7. Ella Shelton, Defender (New York, Toronto)
Toronto is getting an important figure in Shelton. Even on a Sirens team that has been tough to watch at times, Shelton managed to put up points while trying to he best to provide stability on the back end. The Ingersoll, Ont. native was named the PWHL Defender of the Year in 2024 after leading all blueliners with 21 points, good for fifth among all skaters. Her production took a step back this past season, but there’s no question Shelton is one of the best rearguards in the game.
6. Alex Carpenter, Forward (New York, Seattle)
How Alex Carpenter put up eight goals and 23 points in New York’s first season is beyond me. The Team USA mainstay found ways to score and create opportunities on a team that had little scoring depth. In the Sirens’ second season, she was put on a line with Fillier and Jessie Eldridge, and the trio was almost unstoppable in the first half of the season. Carpenter’s 43 points across two seasons are the third-most in the PWHL.
5. Ann-Renée Desbiens, Goaltender (Montreal Victoire)
Desbiens has been the most consistent goaltender across the league’s first two years. While there were some skeptics with her performance in 2024, especially since she was outplayed in the semifinals by Aerin Frankel, the No. 1 goalie for Team Canada was outstanding this past season, leading the league in goals-against average (1.86), save percentage (.932) and wins (15), earning Goaltender of the Year honors. However, it didn’t lead to any success in the playoffs.
4. Daryl Watts, Forward (Ottawa, Toronto)
It’s crazy to think that Watts was completely out of hockey a couple of years ago. The first freshman to ever win the Patty Kaz, she was a force with an inconsistent Ottawa team in year one. However, when she signed with her hometown team, Watts flourished. Her 27 points helped carry a Sceptres team that was without some of its stars throughout the season, finishing third in league scoring. Her ability to be a game-changer in clutch moments has led to her scoring 44 points overall, second-most in the PWHL’s short history.
3. Aerin Frankel, Goaltender (Boston Fleet)
While her numbers weren’t as good as Desbiens’, I will keep pounding my fist into the dirt – had the Fleet made the playoffs this past season, Frankel would’ve won MVP. The Green Monster has been absolutely stellar behind a team that had shaky defense, to put it gently. That was noticeable when Frankel didn’t play, or was absent after suffering a concussion at the Women’s Worlds. There have only been a couple of players who have meant more to one team than the American netminder has in the league’s first two seasons. Unquestionably, Frankel was the only reason Boston made it to the final in two seasons ago.
2. Sarah Fillier, Forward (New York Sirens)
Has she only played one season? Sure, but you can’t tell me with a straight face that a lot of people only watched the Sirens last season for more than just to see Fillier play. The rookie was must-see TV from her first game as a pro. Even on a bad Sirens team, she met expectations, winning the Rookie of the Year award with relative ease. Her confidence against the best players in the world is unmatched. If finishing tied for the league-lead scoring was the opening act, I can’t wait to see what’s in store for Act II.
1. Marie-Philip Poulin, Forward (Montreal Victoire)
Was there any doubt?
Poulin was already the best player in the world long before the PWHL came to fruition. The only thing the new league has confirmed is that no matter what sweater she wears, Poulin dominates.