Predicting the Walter Cup champion, major PWHL award winners
Heading into the 2024-25 regular season, theScore's Kyle Cushman, Mike Dickson, Nick Faris, Sean O'Leary, and Josh Wegman make their picks for the PWHL's playoff teams, major award winners, and Walter Cup Final.
Playoff teams
| Editor | Pick 1 | Pick 2 | Pick 3 | Pick 4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cushman | Boston | Montreal | New York | Toronto |
| Dickson | Boston | Montreal | Ottawa | Toronto |
| Faris | Boston | Minnesota | Montreal | Toronto |
| O'Leary | Boston | Minnesota | New York | Toronto |
| Wegman | Boston | Minnesota | Montreal | Toronto |
All six teams got at least one nod to make the postseason. The Boston Fleet and Toronto Sceptres were unanimous picks, while the Montreal Victoire were left off of one ballot. All three teams made the playoffs in the PWHL's inaugural campaign.
But none of those teams actually won the Walter Cup. Three of five editors selected the defending champions, the Minnesota Frost, to make the playoffs after they narrowly made it into the postseason. The Ottawa Charge and New York Sirens didn't get in and, naturally, got the fewest votes.
Rookie of the Year
| Editor | Pick |
|---|---|
| Cushman | Sarah Fillier (New York) |
| Dickson | Sarah Fillier (New York) |
| Faris | Sarah Fillier (New York) |
| O'Leary | Sarah Fillier (New York) |
| Wegman | Sarah Fillier (New York) |
Fillier is the unanimous selection to be the top rookie at the end of the campaign. The 2024 first overall pick came in at No. 9 on theScore's top 25 PWHL player ranking before even playing a regular-season game.
Fillier's top competition for the award includes Ottawa's Danielle Serdachny, who was chosen second overall and will be an immediate threat with her size, speed, and skill combination. Look for Hannah Bilka in Boston to draw more offense out of Hilary Knight and get some Rookie of the Year hype, too. And don't overlook Swedish sensation Lina Ljungblom in Montreal, who's expected to start on Marie-Philip Poulin's wing after being named MVP in the Swedish league last season.
Defender of the Year
| Editor | Pick |
|---|---|
| Cushman | Renata Fast (Toronto) |
| Dickson | Erin Ambrose (Montreal) |
| Faris | Erin Ambrose (Montreal) |
| O'Leary | Erin Ambrose (Montreal) |
| Wegman | Erin Ambrose (Montreal) |
Ambrose was the Defender of the Year last season and is favored to win back-to-back titles. The Victoire blue-liner is among the league's best power-play quarterbacks and logs huge five-on-five minutes. Two of Montreal's top defenders - Cayla Barnes and Dominika Laskova - are currently injured, which could mean Ambrose will play an even bigger role out of the gate.
Fast, the Sceptres' top defender, also got a nod. The 30-year-old embodies Toronto's physical style and has the offensive chops to be one of the scoring leaders among defenders. She'll star on the Sceptres' top power play, anchor their No. 1 penalty-killing unit, and rack up some of the most even-strength minutes in the league.
Goaltender of the Year
| Editor | Pick |
|---|---|
| Cushman | Ann-Renee Desbiens (Montreal) |
| Dickson | Aerin Frankel (Boston) |
| Faris | Aerin Frankel (Boston) |
| O'Leary | Emerance Maschmeyer (Ottawa) |
| Wegman | Kristen Campbell (Toronto) |
Campbell won Goaltender of the Year in the inaugural campaign after her superb 12-game winning streak. She isn't our top pick this season, though - Fleet netminder Aerin Frankel leads the way with two votes.
Frankel had a historic playoff run, highlighted by back-to-back semifinal wins in which she made over 50 saves. If the American continues that form, it'll be tough to deny her the award this season.
Montreal's Ann-Renee Desbiens and Ottawa's Emerance Maschmeyer also got some love here. Desbiens didn't have the dominant year many expected from her considering her reputation as the best goaltender in women's hockey, and she could be in store for a statement campaign. Maschmeyer played in every Charge game last season and, with a lesser workload, her numbers could soar.
Billie Jean King MVP
| Editor | Pick |
|---|---|
| Cushman | Marie-Philip Poulin (Montreal) |
| Dickson | Sarah Nurse (Toronto) |
| Faris | Sarah Nurse (Toronto) |
| O'Leary | Sarah Nurse (Toronto) |
| Wegman | Marie-Philip Poulin (Montreal) |
Natalie Spooner, last season's runaway MVP, is out as she recovers from knee surgery. Her Sceptres teammate Sarah Nurse is the favorite to step up and claim the award.
Nurse was dominant down the stretch with 17 points in her last 12 regular-season contests. A broken finger sustained just before the playoffs limited her effectiveness against Minnesota, but the 29-year-old is fully healthy and will be heavily leaned on in offensive situations with Spooner sidelined.
It wouldn't be a proper MVP discussion without Poulin. Still the best player in the women's game, the Victoire captain joined Spooner as the only two skaters to exceed the point-per-game mark last season. Montreal is expected to be among the league's best again - and Poulin remains a massive part of that. Few things in hockey are as scary as a motivated Poulin, and she certainly has fuel after an early exit in the playoffs at the hands of the Boston Fleet.
Walter Cup Final
| Editor | Pick |
|---|---|
| Cushman | Toronto def. Montreal |
| Dickson | Toronto def. Boston |
| Faris | Toronto def. Montreal |
| O'Leary | Toronto def. New York |
| Wegman | Montreal def. Toronto |
The Sceptres are a heavy favorite - four out of five editors picked Toronto to win the Walter Cup, and each projected the team to at least make the final.
Toronto improved what was already the league's best offense by signing the top free agent, Daryl Watts, this offseason. On paper, the Sceptres' offensive depth looks almost unstoppable - and that's before they get the reigning MVP back in the lineup.
The Victoire are the only other team to be picked to win the title. There's no denying their core - Poulin, Ambrose, Desbiens, and Laura Stacey - is capable of victory. A lack of trust in its depth cost Montreal in the spring and will again be the biggest area to watch if the Victoire are to make a real run at the Walter Cup.
The PWHL regular season starts Saturday when the Sceptres take on the Fleet and the Victoire face the Charge.