Discussion: Who Wins Rookie Of The Year?

There are rookies making an impact at every position and with every team across the PWHL this season. From top pick Kristýna Kaltounková in New York, to defender Haley Winn in Boston, and goaltender Hannah Murphy in Seattle, the contributions are significant.

But is one rookie rising above the rest in the PWHL's Rookie of the Year race? Cee Benwell and Ian Kennedy of The Hockey News discuss.

Benwell: The race for Rookie of the Year might be shaping as a three-way race between (surprise!) the top three overall picks: Kristýna Kaltounková, Haley Winn, and Casey O’Brien. I wonder if we will ever see a surprise candidate emerge from deeper in the draft?

For me, as much as I love watching Kaltounková pulverize opposing goaltenders, Winn has been the most valuable of the three (so far). Pairing her with Megan Keller has given the Fleet a reliable defensive presence, but more importantly, the ability to control pucks in the offensive zone and generate quick-strike offense.

Kennedy: For me right now, despite the importance and success of Kaltounková and O’Brien in New York, this is all about Haley Winn. Defenders don’t always get the same love for these awards that tend to be voted on by people who see the numbers, and not the quieter impact. But this is a rookie leading the league in time on ice, averaging, and I repeat, averaging, more than a minute more per game than Boston’s captain Megan Keller. She’s averaging over two minutes more than Ella Shelton, three minutes more than Lee Stecklein and Renata Fast. 

That said, if New York makes the playoffs, and Kaltounková is their leading scorer, it’s going to be a debate. 

If I could throw a surprise name into the race, I do think it’s hard to ignore the significant impact Kendall Cooper has had in Minnesota. She’s already a top tier defender in this league. She’s mobile, she moves the puck well, and more importantly, she can defend. I’ve really loved the play of Anne Cherkowski and Abby Hustler as well who I think are going to be second-year breakout players like Jesse Compher was in Toronto in her second season, but for now, they’re not in the conversation.

Benwell: I agree about Cooper, and I also really like Ottawa’s Rory Guilday, who has been as advertised. It’s a little simplistic to compare her to Lee Stecklein, but that’s truly what I see in her game. Mike Hirshfeld also made a smart pick with Sarah Wozniewicz in the third round. She’s fit in well on their top line already.

Kennedy: The “Wizard of Woz” as she’s been dubbed in Ottawa, has been really effective. She’s fast, she’s competitive, she’s defensively reliable, and she has an undeniable penchant for big goals. She’s shown it in college with Wisconsin spanning back to the WCHA finals last year, and she’s done it again in overtimes this year. She is a player built for this league. While Ottawa might have gambled a little more than they originally thought with their Russian picks, they certainly hit home runs with Guilday and Wozniewicz.