PDub Hockey’s end-of-season awards!

Kelly Pannek became the first player in PWHL history to reach 30 points in a season, finishing with 16 goals and 17 assists. This rate put her at just over a point per game on average. She led the league in goals, including in power play goals, with seven. Her shooting percentage was a ridiculous 27.6%.

As a centre, Pannek is also known for success in the face-off dot, which is key to gaining possession for her team to move up the ice or cycle in the offensive zone. She boasted a face-off win percentage of 59.3%—good for third among players who took at least 200 face-offs.

Taylor Heise finished second in points, with 13 goals and 17 assists, including 11 primary assists. Ten of her goals came at five-on-five, showing she can produce offence at even strength, the most common scenario in a game.

Rebecca Leslie hit a personal record of 14 goals this season, tied for second-best in the league. She had four game-winning goals, including three overtime winners. Of the three nominees, she put up the most shots, with 99. Her offensive success compared to last season was significant—23 points in 2025–26 compared to three points in 2024–25.

Defender of the Year

Nominees: Sophie Jaques (Vancouver Goldeneyes), Megan Keller (Boston Fleet), Haley Winn (Boston Fleet)

Winner: Megan Keller (Boston Fleet)

Megan Keller led all defenders with 22 points, 18 of which were primary points (including seven goals). Her one-timer from the point on the power play was deadly, leading to four power play goals. She landed 68 shots on net, good for third among defenders. As captain, she came up clutch with three game-winning goals on the year.

On the defensive side, Keller was fifth in the league in hits while receiving only four penalties all season. Behind her frequent D-partner Haley Winn, she had the second-most time on ice per game (TOI/GP). Yet she managed a record of less than one even-strength goal against per 60 minutes of ice time (GA/60).

Sophie Jaques helped carry the Goldeneyes with a team-leading 20 points—second among defenders in the league. She generated 110 shots, behind only Laura Stacey. With the third-highest TOI/GP, Jaques blocked 39 shots and led all defenders with nine goals.

Rookie Haley Winn led all skaters in TOI, landing 32 hits and 92 shots. Her GA/60 was even better than Keller’s, at 0.90.

Goaltender of the Year

Nominees: Ann-Renée Desbiens (Montréal Victoire), Aerin Frankel (Boston Fleet), Gwyneth Philips (Ottawa Charge)

Winner: Ann-Renée Desbiens (Montréal Victoire)

Ann-Renée Desbiens finished the season with the best save percentage (0.955%) and the best goals-against average (1.11). On January 24, she became the first goalie to earn 30 regularseason career wins and finished this season with 41 career wins overall (19 this season). Desbiens was behind only Frankel in shutouts, with seven. She even earned one assist!

Aerin Frankel’s stats couldn’t have been closer those of the Victoire netminder, with a 0.953 SV% and a 1.17 GAA herself. She led the league with eight shutouts and tied with Desbiens for 19 wins. Playing the second-most minutes in the league, she finished with only 31 goals against.

Gwyneth Philips faced the most shots against by far, with 844 (151 more than the next goaltender). Her 0.913 SV% and GAA of 2.12 still placed her in the top five among qualified goalies, and she earned three shutouts on the season.

Rookie of the Year

Nominees: Kristýna Kaltounková (F, New York Sirens), Casey O’Brien (F, New York Sirens), Haley Winn (D, Boston Fleet)

Winner: Haley Winn (D, Boston Fleet)

From the instant Haley Winn stepped on the ice, she already looked like a pro. Trusted even as a rookie, as she had the most TOI of all players, even more than her captain, Megan Keller. Winn produced shots at a pace of nearly seven per game on average, leading all rookies. Of her 19 points, 13 were primary points. Her skating and evasiveness were evident along the offensive zone blueline.

Casey O’Brien led all rookies in points, with seven goals and 15 assists in 28 games. Her first career goal was goal #1 of a hat trick on December 28, and goal #3 was the game-winner. A centre, she was 53.6% in the face-off dot.

First overall draft pick Kristýna Kaltounková began her rookie campaign leading the league in goals. She still finished with the most among rookies (11) despite having played only 21 games. In her shorter season, she registered 34 hits and 81 shots, landing at least four shots in all but eight games.

Coach of the Year

Nominees: Kori Cheverie (Montréal Victoire), Carla MacLeod (Ottawa Charge), Kris Sparre (Boston Fleet)

Winner: Kori Cheverie (Montréal Victoire)

Kori Cheverie once again coached her team to first place in the regular season. The Victoire set a league record for most wins in a season, with 20, and became the first team to reach 60 points in a season. The team also registered a 16-game point streak.

With captain Marie-Philip Poulin out for 11 games, Cheverie was able to unlock more depth scoring. Players with offensively quieter years in previous seasons like Hayley Scamurra, Lina Ljungblom, Kaitlin Willoughby, and Maggie Flaherty each notched three or more goals this season, including at least one game-winner.

The Victoire were defensively sound, allowing the fewest shots (757) and fewest goals (41). Thirteen players had a GA/60 of under 1.00. Special teams were also a strength: Montréal had the second-best power play in the league, at 19.3%, and the best penalty kill, at 91.8%.

Kris Sparre was handed a team that, on paper, looked like they might struggle this season. But the Fleet were strong all year and never wavered from the top of the standings. Sparre continually shuffled the lines, and they all produced. He also helped bring out the best in his rookies, like Abby Newhook, Haley Winn, Riley Brengman, and Ella Huber.

Ottawa was another team that was decently bulldozed by expansion and free agency. But Carla MacLeod once again led the Charge to the playoffs with an incredible 8–1 record in extra time. The top line of Sarah Wozniewicz, Brianne Jenner, and Rebecca Leslie produced key offence all season, with a combined 11 game-winning goals.

Billie Jean King MVP

Nominees: Ann-Renée Desbiens (G, Montréal Victoire), Aerin Frankel (G, Boston Fleet), Kelly Pannek (F, Minnesota Frost), Gwyneth Philips (G, Ottawa Charge)

Winner: Ann-Renée Desbiens (G, Montréal Victoire)

Ann-Renée Desbiens allowed more than two goals only once all season. Against the top-scoring Minnesota Frost, she let in just three goals. In only one game did her SV% dip below 0.900.

According to the goalie stats and analysis of fellow PDH writer Erin McGee, if you’re down by a goal and hoping to stay in it, Desbiens is the goalie you want in net, by a decent margin. Among qualified goaltenders, Desbiens had the highest SV% when her team was trailing—key to keeping the Victoire in the game when they were behind.

In January, Montréal won a series of games by only one goal, meaning Desbiens had to be at the top of her game to allow her team to win. In the last game of the regular season, with the first-place spot on the line, Desbiens allowed just one goal in the shootout to give her team the two-point victory.

Winner: Sarah Nurse (F, Vancouver Goldeneyes)