Latest news with #GoaltenderoftheYear
Edmonton Journal
17-07-2025
- Sport
- Edmonton Journal
Edmonton Oilers new goalie coach not shying away from win-now demands
Surely, there are easier jobs to take in the NHL than becoming the goalie coach of the Edmonton Oilers. Article content After all, with the best player in the world — if not the two best — right now, when things go wrong with the team, you know people aren't pointing to the ones in charge of putting pucks in the net at the other end of the ice. Article content In terms of point production, Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl have done that job better than anyone else during their past decade playing together, sitting first and second overall. Article content Article content So, the focus of the fan base when times are bad is aimed squarely at the ones whose job it is to keep pucks out of their own net. The last line of defence, if you will. Article content Article content And if the blame becomes common enough over a big enough sample size where the netminders' struggles are seen, justified or not, as the one thing separating this club from the Stanley Cup, well, it's difficult to ignore the common denominator through it all. The goaltending coach. Article content And that's where Peter Aubry comes in, having been announced this week to the Oilers coaching staff under the even-keeled Kris Knoblauch, along with fellow new assistants Paul McFarland and Conor Allen. Article content Aubry understands full well the situation he's coming into, taking over for his predecessor, Dustin Schwartz, whose contract was not extended following 11 seasons of developing talent in the Oilers crease. To various levels of success, of course, after joining the club mid-Decade of Darkness. Article content Article content The difference for Aubry is he's coming aboard an Oilers team in nothing short of win-now mode, after reaching the Stanley Cup Final each of the past two seasons, only to come home emptyhanded. Article content Article content 'A hundred per cent, they are. And I recognize that,' said Aubry, 48. 'This is a big role, and an important role. We're talking about the finest level of the curve right here to make that incremental improvement to win the Stanley Cup. Article content 'I fully recognize that, that's exciting and enticing. I want to do my part.' Article content Aubry is making the jump to a full-time NHL position after spending the past two seasons coaching in NCAA Div. 1 as associate coach at Nebraska-Omaha, where Simon Latkoczy was just named the conference's Goaltender of the Year. Article content A native of Windsor, Ont., Aubry spent the previous eight years working as the developmental goaltending coach in the Chicago Blackhawks system, where he first met Blackhawks-turned-Oilers general manager Stan Bowman.
Yahoo
25-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Montreal captain Marie-Philip Poulin wins PWHL's Billie Jean King MVP award
Montreal Victoire head coach Kori Cheverie is named as the Coach of the Year during the PWHL women's hockey awards in Ottawa, Ontario,, Wednesday June 25, 2025. (Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press via AP) Montreal Victoire's Ann-Renee Desbiens speaks after being named the Goaltender of the Year during the PWHL women's hockey awards in Ottawa, Ontario,, Wednesday June 25, 2025. (Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press via AP) Cheryl Pounder, left, presents Toronto Sceptres' Renata Fast with the Defender of the Yearduring the PWHL women's hockey awards in Ottawa, Ontario,, Wednesday June 25, 2025. (Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press via AP) Montreal Victoire forward Marie-Philip Poulin speaks after being named as the Forward of the Year during the PWHL women's hockey awards in Ottawa, Ontario,, Wednesday June 25, 2025. (Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press via AP) Montreal Victoire's Marie-Philip Poulin accepts the Billie Jean King MVP Award during the PWHL women's hockey awards in Ottawa, Ontario,, Wednesday June 25, 2025. (Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press via AP) Montreal Victoire's Marie-Philip Poulin accepts the Billie Jean King MVP Award during the PWHL women's hockey awards in Ottawa, Ontario,, Wednesday June 25, 2025. (Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press via AP) Montreal Victoire head coach Kori Cheverie is named as the Coach of the Year during the PWHL women's hockey awards in Ottawa, Ontario,, Wednesday June 25, 2025. (Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press via AP) Montreal Victoire's Ann-Renee Desbiens speaks after being named the Goaltender of the Year during the PWHL women's hockey awards in Ottawa, Ontario,, Wednesday June 25, 2025. (Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press via AP) Cheryl Pounder, left, presents Toronto Sceptres' Renata Fast with the Defender of the Yearduring the PWHL women's hockey awards in Ottawa, Ontario,, Wednesday June 25, 2025. (Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press via AP) Montreal Victoire forward Marie-Philip Poulin speaks after being named as the Forward of the Year during the PWHL women's hockey awards in Ottawa, Ontario,, Wednesday June 25, 2025. (Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press via AP) Montreal Victoire's Marie-Philip Poulin accepts the Billie Jean King MVP Award during the PWHL women's hockey awards in Ottawa, Ontario,, Wednesday June 25, 2025. (Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press via AP) OTTAWA, Ontario (AP) — Montreal Victoire captain Marie-Philip Poulin has won the Professional Women's Hockey League's Billie Jean King MVP Award for the 2024-25 season. Poulin, who was also named forward of the year, was presented the awards at a ceremony Wednesday in Ottawa. Advertisement The 34-year-old Poulin led the league with 19 goals and finished fourth with 26 points in 30 games. Poulin was also a finalist for the MVP and top forward awards in the inaugural 2024 PWHL season. Both awards were won by Toronto's Natalie Spooner. The awards capped another year of major achievements for Poulin, who was named the IIHF's Female Player of the Year earlier this month after taking MVP honors at the women's world championship in April with a tournament-leading 12 points (four goals, eight assists). Toronto Sceptres defender Renata Fast and Boston Fleet captain Hilary Knight (now with Seattle) were the other MVP finalists, while Knight and New York Sirens forward Sarah Fillier were up for forward of the year. Advertisement Fast and Fillier did not leave empty-handed. Fast took home defender of the year honors while Fillier was named the league's top rookie. The 30-year-old Fast tied for first in scoring among defenders with 22 points in 30 games, led the league with 63 hits and led all skaters with an average of 24 minutes, 39 seconds of ice time per game. Sophie Jaques and Claire Thompson of the PWHL champion Minnesota Frost (both now with Vancouver) were the other finalists. Fillier, 25, tied for the league lead with 29 points in 30 games and led the league with five power-play goals. Montreal forward Jenn Gardiner (now with Vancouver) and Ottawa goaltender Gwyneth Philips also were finalists. Advertisement Montreal's Ann-Renée Desbiens took goaltender of the year honors. The 31-year-old led all goalies with 15 wins and her 1.86 goals-against average and .932 save percentage were top marks among all starters. Philips and Boston's Aerin Frankel also were finalists. Montreal's Kori Cheverie won coach of the year after leading the Victoire to first place in the PWHL standings with a 12-7-3-8 record. Ottawa's Carla MacLeod and Toronto's Troy Ryan, who won the award last year, were also in the running. Victoire forward Laura Stacey won the Hockey For All Award given to the player 'who made the greatest impact in their community.' Advertisement Poulin, Fillier, Knight, Fast, Jaques and Desbiens were named to the league's first all-star team. Minnesota's Kendall Coyne Schofield, Ottawa's Tereza Vanisova (now Vancouver), Toronto's Daryl Watts, New York's Ella Shelton (now Toronto), Thompson and Frankel were named to the second all-star team. Fillier, Gardiner, Minnesota's Britta Curl-Salemme, Montreal's Cayla Barnes and Anna Wilgren (both now with Seattle) and Philips made up the all-rookie squad. ___ AP women's hockey:
Boston Globe
25-06-2025
- Sport
- Boston Globe
Marie-Philip Poulin named PWHL MVP over former Fleet captain Hilary Knight
After a slow start to her PWHL career in the league's inaugural season, Knight broke out in '24-25. She tied for the PWHL scoring lead with 29 points in 30 games and was one of two players to lead their team outright in goals (15) and assists (14). The points total represented an 18-point improvement from Knight's first year in Boston. Knight was named a first-team All-Star alongside Poulin, Fast, New York Sirens rookie Sarah Fillier, Ann-Renee Desbiens (Montreal), and Sophie Jaques (Minnesota Frost). Advertisement The Fleet opted not to protect Knight during the PWHL expansion process, and Related : Fleet goaltender Aerin Frankel was named a second-team All-Star. The Northeastern product led the league in saves( 642), was second among qualified goalies in save percentage (.921), and was tops in minutes played by 114 more than the nearest contender. Advertisement 🏆 2025 PWHL Second All-Star Team They showed up, showed out, and earned their spot. -- 🏆 Deuxième équipe d'étoiles 2025 de la LPHF Elles ont répondu présentes, ont brillé, et ont mérité leur place. — PWHL (@thepwhlofficial) Frankel was also a finalist for Goaltender of the Year, which went to Desbiens. Desbiens led all goaltenders with 15 wins, and her 1.86 goals-against average and .932 save percentage were tops among PWHL starters. Fast was named Defender of the Year. She tied with Jaques for the scoring lead among defenders with 22 points in 30 games, and she led the league with 63 hits while playing a league-leading average of 24:39 per game. Rookie of the Year went to Fillier, a runaway favorite for the award after she tied with Knight for the league lead in points; no other rookie had more than 18 points. Fillier's 16 assists were the most by a forward and tied with Fast for the league lead. Korie Cheverie was named Coach of the Year after leading Montreal to the best regular-season record (12-7-3-8, 53 points) and a trip to the Walter Cup Final. The Victoire were the first team to clinch a playoff spot Emma Healy can be reached at
Yahoo
05-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Who was the biggest surprise omission for each PWHL team from their expansion protection list?
The PWHL unveiled the three players protected from each of the league's six inaugural teams. Three was a small number resulting in top players from every roster being exposed, and signalling that PWHL Seattle and PWHL Vancouver will almost certainly enter the 2025-26 PWHL season as the teams to beat. While the PWHL has yet to unveil if there will be changes to their playoff format with eight teams now in the league, it's highly likely Seattle and Vancouver will be playing playoff hockey next season, while the existing rosters will take a season or two to recover from the deep cuts the league decided to make to their cores. PWHL fans across the league reacted negatively to the lack of protection for the players they've grown to love, including the exposure of 40 of the 42 players selected in the 2024 PWHL Draft. Advertisement As baffling as the PWHL's plan for expansion was, seeing the exposed players which includes finalists for league MVP, Defender of the Year, Forward of the Year, and Rookie of the Year, including the 2024 PWHL Rookie of the Year, Defender of the Year, Goaltender of the Year, three First Team All-Stars, three Second Team All-Stars, and four of five members of the All-Rookie team. In essence, Seattle and Vancouver are picking all-star rosters without reservation. There were some exposures that surprised more than others. Here's a look at the most shocking omissions from each PWHL team's protected list. Boston Fleet - Hilary Knight Knight is a finalist for the PWHL's MVP award this season and top forward. She tied for the league lead in scoring and was the captain of the Boston Fleet, and remains the captain of Team USA. She's a first ballot Hall of Famer who holds every scoring record at the World Championships. Hilary Knight however, is nearing the end of her storied career, although no one is questioning if she can remain a star in the PWHL for a few more seasons. She would be the ultimate face for the game in Seattle to help the league hit the ground running on the west coast, but it doesn't soften the shock and dismay Boston fans feel having one of the legends of the game potentially stolen from their roster. Minnesota Frost - Sophie Jaques Minnesota made a trade for Sophie Jaques during season one and it paid dividends. She tied for the PWHL lead in scoring by a defender, helped the Frost win back-to-back Walter Cup titles, and has seen her role grow. She's only getting better and is a finalist for the PWHL's Defender of the Year. Few are as dangerous off the rush and jumping into the play as Jaques, and she'll bring her ever improving game to the west coach and make a significant impact there as well. She flourish in Minnesota, and alongside Claire Thompson, the loss of two elite defenders is going to sting. Minnesota will pray that Nicole Gosling or Rory Guilday can be had in the PWHL Draft. Montreal Victoire - Erin Ambrose Montreal loves Erin Ambrose, and Erin Ambrose loves Montreal. She was the 2024 PWHL Defender of the Year, and remains one of the best in the league on and off the ice. Montreal rolled the dice exposing both Ambrose and rookie standout Cayla Barnes on their blueline. Their only hope is that Vancouver picks up Jennifer Gardiner. If the expansion teams pick Ambrose and Barnes, Montreal is going to significantly struggle, and the defensive depth available in free agency and the draft won't be able to recoup what they've lost if the worst case scenario happens. New York Sirens - Alex Carpenter A 2024 First Team All-Star and widely acknowledged as a top 10 forward in the world, Alex Carpenter is a game changer on the ice and was half of the PWHL's most dangerous duo alongside rookie sensation Sarah Fillier. Many New York fans couldn't wrap their head around this one, and in terms of on-ice performance, it's a hard pill to swallow. What this omission shows however, is that teams were looking far beyond the scoresheet when considering their options. New York needs a culture change, they need to shake up their roster to get more out of their depth, and this move plays into that decision. Carpenter's skill will be missed if she's selected. Ottawa Charge - Ashton Bell Without Ashton Bell, it's hard to imagine the Ottawa Charge get to the Walter Cup finals this year. Bell was part of Ottawa's top pairing that played heavy minutes. She blocked shots, transitioned pucks up ice, and was key to their attack. But Ottawa went with the unique toolkit possessed by Ronja Savolainen. Savolainen has a more club friendly contract with two years remaining, and there's belief she's just scratching the surface of her potential in North America. She got better as the season went on. Toronto Sceptres - Sarah Nurse A 2024 PWHL Second Team All-Star, Sarah Nurse was one of the top scoring threats in the league in year one, and if not for an injury in year two, the same could be said. Toronto is lucky to have the depth they do up front, but depending how this process plays out, the Sceptres are likely to lose not only Nurse, but three of Savannah Harmon, Julia Gosling, Emma Maltais, Allie Munroe, or Izzy Daniel as well. It's not a pleasant prospect for the team, but there's perhaps no loss that would hurt more than that of Nurse.
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
PWHL Award Ceremony Set For June 25 In Ottawa
The PWHL will host their 2025 Awards Ceremony on Wednesday, June 25 at 11:30 a.m. ET at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in the Hard Rock Live theatre in Ottawa, Ontario. It follows the 2025 PWHL Draft which will take place the night before in the same venue. Finalists for the PWHL's six major awards will be announced beginning May 13 with the league's Forward of the Year finalists, followed by Defender of the Year (May 14), Goaltender of the Year (May 15), Coach of the Year (May 20), Rookie of the Year (May 21) and Billie Jean King MVP Award (May 22). This year the PWHL's Rookie of the Year will include 1999 born players and younger who are completing their first season of professional hockey in North America. At the ceremony, the league will also honour this year's top scorers - Hilary Knight and Sarah Fillier - and their Hockey For All Award recipient. Last year, Toronto Sceptres forward Natalie Spooner was named the Forward of the Year and MVP. Erin Ambrose of the Montreal Victoire was the inaugural Defender of the Year, while Toronto's Kristen Campbell was the league's first Goaltender of the Year. Grace Zumwinkle of the Minnesota Frost was the league's first Rookie of the Year.
