The race for the NCAA's top women's hockey honor, the Patty Kazmaier Award, will be fierce this season with two finalists returning, and several stars ready to break out.
The race for the NCAA's top women's hockey honor, the Patty Kazmaier Award, will be fierce this season with two finalists returning, and several stars ready to break out.
Last year's Patty Kazmaier winner Izzy Daniel will suit up this season in the PWHL with Toronto. The Cornell star was the full package, exemplifying what it means to win women's hockey's most prestigious award. She was followed closely by finalists Casey O'Brien and Kirsten Simms, the dynamic Wisconsin duo who finished first and second in NCAA scoring.
There are plenty of players who could emerge as darkhorse candidates for the Patty Kazmaier Award, but here are 15 players making The Hockey News' preseason watch list.
Abbey Murphy, F, Minnesota
Had it not been for her penalty totals, Murphy may have won last year. Her game will translate perfectly to the pro ranks, and she doesn't need some of the extracurricular penalties she earns to be a fast, physical, and dynamic presence. She has the full package skill set and plays with an edge that few in the sport possess. If she can harness that in the right direction, Murphy who tied for the NCAA lead in goals with 33, and sat third in points with 62 in 39 games could take the nod this year.
Caroline Harvey, D, Wisconsin
Harvey is an all around defender who at some point in the game covers every inch of the ice. She's physical, she can carry the puck end to end, and she contributes at both ends of the ice. Harvey is fun to watch, but few defenders get the respect they deserve in this honor. Harvey however, is already a better all around player than 2023 winner Sophie Jaques, and she is the best defender in NCAA hockey, if not in the world.
Laila Edwards, F, Wisconsin
It's almost impossible to contain Edwards' size, but it's her shot that sets her apart, and her ability to read the play both as a shooter and playmaker. Edwards should pile up the points this season for Wisconsin, and if she doesn't land near the top of the Patty Kazmaier discussions, it's only because the towering forward is mixed in with an elite lineup in Wisconsin.
Kirsten Simms, F, Wisconsin
The NCAA leading scorer in 2023-2024 and a top three finalist for last year's award, Simms is a front runner for the honor. She has the full package on the ice as a fluid skater with silky hands and creativity. Does she combine all the other attributes? That's what the selection committee will need to decide.
Kiara Zanon, F, Ohio State
Zanon has been a finalist for this award before, and entering her final season of NCAA hockey and PWHL Draft year, she'll have something to prove. Ohio State lost a wealth of talent to the pro game this year, but it will also mean Zanon can show she has the chops to carry a team.
Casey O'Brien, F, Wisconsin
O'Brien is likely the early frontrunner for the Patty Kazmaier Award. To win this award, O'Brien or any other Wisconsin talent must rise above the rest not only in blowout games, but show they can produce night in and night out when the best teams in the nation come to town. It's always hard to judge Wisconsin. Are you looking at a sum of all the pieces? Or is there one player who truly drives Wisconsin? O'Brien could be that player. Her offseason injury could be a factor, but if she returns in form, it's her award to lose.
Lacey Eden, F, Wisconsin
One factor that plays in Eden's favor is her all around game. She can check, she's fast, and she can pile on the points. She impacts the game in different ways compared to others on this list, adding a two-way factor few duplicate. It's perhaps what gave Izzy Daniel the edge, so don't count out Eden.
Abby Hustler, F, St. Lawrence
One of women's hockey's overlooked stars, both by Hockey Canada and in the NCAA, Abby Hustler is an offensive driver who can break open games single handedly. She's not boisterous like some on this list, and that should serve her well in the eyes of the selection committee. Hustler is an intelligent forward whose value to her program exceeds that of the WCHA standouts on this list.
Kristyna Kaltounkova, F, Colgate
She's consistent, she's powerful, she goes to the net, and she can score Kaltounkova has a style that will make her a PWHL power forward immediately with top six ability. She's got a bad wrap at times in the NCAA, but her personal growth on and off the ice has been evident over the last few seasons. She will be ready when puck drops this year to prove she can carry the load in Colgate, and that she deserves consideration and recognition on a national level.
Tessa Janecke, F, Penn State
If there's any player ready for a breakout season above and beyond the star power she's already shown, it's Tessa Janecke. She is the motor that drives Penn State, but will get some youthful reinforcements this year that could help push her over the edge. Janecke plays a smart game, wields a blistering shot, and can create in traffic. If you put Janecke on Wisconsin, she'd be blowing the competition out of the water. Few make the single handed impact she does.
Nicole Gosling, D, Clarkson
The reigning NCAA Defender of the Year enters this race with as good of a chance as anyone to find herself standing among the top three finalists. Gosling finds ways to contribute offensively, but never at the expense of her defensive contributions. She's reliable, strong on the puck, and gets pucks through. Aside from Harvey, she's the only other blueliner who looks like an early favorite.
Emmalee Pais, F, Colgate
Without Danielle Serdachny, Pais is going to be asked to do more, and if her play for Canada, as their top forward at the 2024 National Development Team series is any indication, Pais is ready for a bigger challenge, and could be the closest forward in NCAA hockey to cracking Canada's senior national team lineup. She was good last year, but will be even better this season.
Natalie Mlynkova, F, Minnesota
Mlynkova has something to prove. Not to herself, or to anyone who knows her game well, but coming from Vermont, she has been overlooked on the national level. Internationally, Mlynkova showed she's one of the top players on the planet being named an IIHF World Championship all-star. Not only that, but she's playing for top spot in the 2025 PWHL Draft. Mlynkova is an excellent two-way player, and brings character to the ice that surpasses other candidates.
Michelle Pasiechnyk, G, Clarkson
The NCAA Goaltender of the Year has been nearly unbeatable for two seasons. Pasiechnyk's numbers are almost superhuman, but she still hasn't received any attention from Hockey Canada. She could be the best overlooked player in Canada, and with the wealth of netminders in the PWHL, she'll look to prove she's better than the netminders who signed multi-year contracts this season who Pasiechnyk has outperformed year in and year out.
Hannah Murphy, G, Colgate
Speaking of standout goalies, if any other netminder is going to get a legitimate look at the Patty Kazmier Award, it's Colgate's Hannah Murphy. With Kayle Osborne in the PWHL, Murphy will carry the load and she could use those extra outings to prove she is worthy of a nomination for this award.