PWHL awards: Spooner wins MVP, Toronto cleans up
The PWHL announced the recipients of its major awards on Tuesday. Here are the results:
Billie Jean King MVP
Winner: Natalie Spooner (Toronto)
Finalists: Marie-Philip Poulin (Montreal), Alex Carpenter (New York)
Spooner led the league in both goals (20) and points (27), guiding Toronto to the league's best regular-season record. Her 20 goals were nine more than the next most: her teammate, Sarah Nurse, and Minnesota forward Grace Zumwinkle at 11.
Forward of the Year
Winner: Natalie Spooner (Toronto)
Finalists: Marie-Philip Poulin (Montreal), Alex Carpenter (New York)
It should come as no surprise that Spooner took this honor as well, as her 1.13 points per game mark led the league. Poulin was the only other player to average better than a point-per-game (1.10).
Defender of the Year
Winner: Erin Ambrose (Montreal)
Finalists: Ella Shelton (New York), Megan Keller (Boston)
Renowned for her two-way game, Ambrose finished second among PWHL defenders with 18 points. The Keswick, Ontario, native only recorded four penalty minutes despite averaging 26:26 per contest.
Goaltender of the Year
Winner: Kristen Campbell (Toronto)
Finalists: Aerin Frankel (Boston), Corinne Schroeder (New York)
Campbell was a workhorse for Toronto, starting 22 of 24 games while posting the second-best goals-against average (1.99), the fourth-best save percentage (.927), and a league-high three shutouts.
Rookie of the Year
Winnner: Grace Zumwinkle (Minnesota)
Finalists: Emma Maltais (Toronto), Alina Muller (Boston)
Zumwinkle led all rookies with 11 goals, which was also the second-most among all skaters. Her 19 points tied Maltais for the rookie lead. Players born in 1998 and later competing in their first season of professional hockey in North America were eligible.
Coach of the Year
Winner: Troy Ryan (Toronto)
Finalists: Kori Cheverie (Montreal), Courtney Kessel (Boston)
Toronto was by far the most dominant team during the regular season, leading the PWHL in points (47), wins (17), goals for (69), and goals against (50). Ryan's squad rattled off 11 straight wins after dropping five of their first seven contests to begin the season.
First All-Star Team
| Position | Player |
|---|---|
| F | Alex Carpenter (NY) |
| F | Marie-Philip Poulin (MTL) |
| F | Natalie Spooner (TOR) |
| D | Ella Shelton (NY) |
| D | Erin Ambrose (MTL) |
| G | Kristen Campbell (TOR) |
Second All-Star Team
| Position | Player |
|---|---|
| F | Brianne Jenner (OTT) |
| F | Sarah Nurse (TOR) |
| F | Grace Zumwinkle (MIN) |
| D | Renata Fast (TOR) |
| D | Megan Keller (BOS) |
| G | Aerin Frankel (BOS) |
All-Rookie Team
| Position | Player |
|---|---|
| F | Alina Muller (BOS) |
| F | Emma Maltais (TOR) |
| F | Grace Zumwinkle (MIN) |
| D | Ashton Bell (OTT) |
| D | Sophie Jaques (MIN) |
| G | Emma Soderberg (BOS) |