The PWHL's busiest goaltender played 28 games last season, averaging nearly four days off between games. Top teams ride their starter for a reason, and laugh off the idea that in a 30 game season without back-to-back games, that goalies can be overworked.
Over the last few seasons, there's been talk of work loads and overplaying starting goalies in the PWHL, much like fans and pundits discuss in other leagues. But in the PWHL, with a 30 game schedule spread over five months, there's no such thing as overworking or overplaying a starting goalie.
The fact more teams don't use their starter for 95% of games or more is actually the only shock in the discussion.
Last season, people asked questions about Gwyneth Philips (28 games), Kayle Osborne (27 games), Aerin Frankel (26 games), and Ann-Renee Desbiens (25 games). All of those goaltenders also played games for their national teams. But neither their coaches or GMs, their teammates or their trainers, were at all, in the least, worried about "overwork."
Of course there may still be moments when teams choose to give a starter a night off to manage the mental load, or following international travel, or if they've been banged up in a game or practice, but the main reason teams are giving games to a second netminder is to ensure on the off-chance an injury occurs, that they have another goaltender who has seen game action.
In the NHL, there were 51 goaltenders who played 30 or more games last season. There were 29 who played 40 or more, and 19 who played in 50 or more.
The most worked goaltender in the NHL last season was Karel Vejmelka who appeared in 64 games for the Utah Mammoth. In three seasons of PWHL action, only Aerin Frankel has played more games, appearing in 67 in her career. Ann-Renee Desbiens is second with 62, and only five goaltenders — Frankel, Desbiens, Emerance Maschmeyer, Kristen Campbell, and Corinne Schroeder — have played 50 games or more.
The suggestion that a starting goalie in the PWHL can be overworked is inaccurate. PWHL netminders are elite professional athletes who care for themselves, their bodies, their nutrition, and rest and recuperation. Suggesting they're incapable of something regularly seen with NHL goalies is false.
Philips, the most worked goaltender last season in the PWHL had, on average, 3.75 full days off between games, not counting the Olympic break in the PWHL schedule. Kayle Osborne averaged 3.82 days off, and Frankel had 4.12 days off. None played back-to-back games.
All available scientific and peer reviewed research shows that athletes are capable of reaching full recovery between 48 and 72 hours, and that the inability to recover by the 72 hour mark shows overtraining in endurance athletes. But for hockey players, competing in a 60 minute game roughly twice a week with between 90 and 100 hours off between competition, there is more than sufficient recovery time. At the same time, research shows athletes who hold off for more than 72 hours show negative impacts on performance.
Due to this, it's actually surprising more teams aren't targeting their top goaltender to appear in at least 25 games.
This coming season, with goaltending depth spread across the PWHL via expansion, more teams could lean into running with their top goaltender more regularly. But it won't come with the risk or physical stress some assert.
Collegiately, goaltenders coming into the PWHL regularly played back-to-back nights. It is common place in the NCAA where teams typically play their series' on Friday and Saturday nights.
When you look at the number of shots goaltenders in the PWHL are facing, Philips again faced the most, making 786 saves. Last season 40 NHL goalies were hit by more pucks. Aerin Frankel made the second most saves, turning aside 631 shots. 54 NHL goalies made more saves. And Philips and Frankel's numbers were similar for shots against/60 related to NHL goalies playing similar minutes through the season, although those goalies, typically back ups, were almost certainly facing weaker opponents on a nightly basis than the PWHL's top goaltenders.
In the PWHL, there's also a notable drop off for most teams, which will be exasperated this season, between starting goalies and back ups. Minnesota is the only PWHL team that played what could be considered a tandem the past two seasons with Maddie Rooney and Nicole Hensley, although Emerance Maschmeyer and Kristen Campbell in Vancouver were close, as were Corinne Schroeder and Hannah Murphy in Seattle. The third most games played by a second goaltender came from Toronto in Elaine Chuli, who will now be New York's starter.
Perhaps it's no surprise that three of the league's top teams - Montreal, Boston, and Ottawa - played their starter more, and three of the league's bottom teams - Vancouver, Seattle, and Toronto - played a more balanced approach. Frankel was league MVP, Desbiens an MVP finalist who many asserted was worthy of the award, and Phillips was the 2025 PWHL playoff MVP. In the PWHL, the best play more, and their teams win more.
While some argue that 25-30 games is too much, the goaltenders themselves might argue that it's the minimum to find their rhythm, and be the goaltenders they are at the pro level. For Desbiens, Frankel, and Philips, they played 35, 32, and 37 games in their senior NCAA seasons respectively. It means they're actually playing less already in the PWHL, without facing back-to-back games.
Rest and recuperation are crucial for the success of a goalie, as is finding their groove. In the PWHL, with the maximum number of games the league can play under the current CBA sitting at 32, however, there's no such thing as overworking or overplaying a goalie.
