Erin Ambrose leads the PWHL in points by a defender, but she also leads the league in blocked shots, and she's done it all while elevating the play of those around her. Ambrose's poise and game by game impact has set her apart as the PWHL's best defender.

Every team in the PWHL has a star defender. There's Lee Stecklein in Minnesota, Savannah Harmon in Ottawa, Boston's Megan Keller, New York's Ella Shelton, and the duo of Renata Fast and Jocelyn Larocque in Toronto.

They're all critical to the success of their respective teams, but perhaps no defender has had the impact in the PWHL this season of Montreal's Erin Ambrose.

Offensively, it's obvious, Ambrose leads the PWHL in points by a blueliner with 17 in 23 games. She also leads the league in primary assists with nine. Ambrose can jump into the play, but also walks the blueline deceptively altering her body position to open up shooting and passing lanes. No one in the PWHL has done it with the consistency and effectiveness of Ambrose this season.

Ambrose has been Montreal's ice time leader this season averaging 25:50 per game, and she spent much of the year mentoring youngster Mariah Keopple, who became one of the surprise contributors to Montreal's roster this season. Ambrose also took on a heavier load following the injury to Dominika Laskova. Montreal's ability to select Ambrose 6th overall in the inaugural draft looks like a steal of epic proportions, and teams who passed on the defender are certainly kicking themselves in retrospect.

And while she's been a significant contributor offensively, trailing only Marie-Philip Poulin in scoring for PWHL Montreal, Ambrose is influencing the outcome of Montreal's games in all three zones.

In the defensive zone, Ambrose currently leads the league in blocked shots with 25. It seems to be an infectious trait about Ambrose's game as fellow Montreal defenders Kati Tabin and Keopple sit second and third in the league behind Ambrose. There was a moment in PWHL Montreal's recent 2-0 shutout against Ottawa where a goal mouth scramble ensued. With Ann-Renee Desbiens fighting for the puck, Ambrose sealed off the near post using her shoulder and body to allow Desbiens to recover. Ambrose has shown her willingness through blocking shots, and defending her crease by any means necessary throughout this PWHL season. It's her attention to this minute details that have turned Montreal's fortunes at times, and weathered pressure.

People will often point to the duo of Fast and Larocque in Toronto as Canada's top defenders internationally and in the PWHL, but their success is not only a result of their individual excellence, but also their complimentary skill sets. For Ambrose, whether it's with Canada or Montreal, she quietly stands out with her puck poise and hockey IQ, but also in her ability to thrive regardless of her partner, and to elevate the game of anyone she plays with to a new level.

With only a handful of games remaining in the inaugural PWHL season, Erin Ambrose has set herself apart as the top defender in the PHWL this season, and when the league's newly announced Defender of the Year award is handed out, it would be surprising to see any name other than Erin Ambrose's engraved on the trophy.