MVP, Best Defender, Rookie of the Year? When the PWHL launches this January, who will the league name their inaugural awards after.
MVP, Best Defender, Rookie of the Year? When the PWHL launches this January, who will the league name their inaugural awards after.
Starting a league from scratch, there are many items that take precedence over year end awards. Eventually however, decisions for how to approach certain recognitions and awards will come into play.
In the former PHF, Awards went without individual names tied to them aside from the championship Isobel Cup. In the defunct CWHL, Awards were named for many players including Jayna Hefford and Angela James. Similarly in Europe, Naisten Liiga names their trophies for past and present players, including the Noora Raty Award which goes to the league's top rookie.
How the PWHL chooses to approach their awards will be an interesting topic to watch. Here's a look at how some of the awards could play out.
MVP - Ranscombe Trophy - Women's hockey history has largely been lost. We know of historic players from the 1910s and 1920s who made significant impacts, although most of those records have vanished, or were never kept. The one name that did stick from the 1930s was Hilda Ranscombe, the legendary leader of women's hockey's most dominant team of the era, and perhaps ever, the Preston Rivulettes. She led this team to national and provincial championships year after year, and was considered the best player on the planet in a paramount era to the development of women's hockey.
Leading Scorer - Ouellette Trophy - Soon to be Hockey Hall of Fame inductee Caroline Ouellette is the CWHL's all-time leading scorer, and also played for the Minnesota Whitecaps, making her a crossover player. Ouellette is also an IIHF Hall of Famer for her spectacular career with Team Canada. She is worthy of recognition for her scoring prowess.
Best Forward - Decker Trophy - In an ideal world, the 32-year-old Brianna Decker would be playing (and starring) in the PWHL this season. Following an injury at the 2022 Olympics, Decker did not return to the ice. Instead she took a coaching role at Shattuck St. Mary's, and also a role with the PHF. Decker is another player who split her professional career between the CWHL and PHF/NWHL and with multiple league MVP honors, rookie of the year, and IIHF all-star nods, along with a Patty Kazmaier to her resume, "Best Forward" is not a stretch of the imagination. If the league wanted to dip deeper into history, this award could easily be named for Hilda Ranscombe or Cindy Curley.
Best Defender - Heaney Trophy - Geraldine Heaney is perhaps the best defender of all time, although Angela Ruggiero would have something to say for that. Still, Heaney is a legend of the game, and a deserving candidate to have an honor created in her name. It's a loss for the sport that the PWHL was unable to keep Heaney, who coached the PHF's Toronto Six to a title last year in the game, but this would be another way the league could honor her legacy. Angela Ruggiero is another name that could be considered as she's particularly worthy of recognition in this league.
Best Goalie - St. Pierre Trophy - Kim St. Pierre is the only women's hockey goalie currently in the Hockey Hall of Fame. She will undoubtedly soon be joined by other netminders, but she's the first, and that is enough to earn this recognition. If there's a top goaltender in the PWHL, they'd be honored to carry on St. Pierre's legacy. Other goaltenders like Noora Raty and Kim Martin would make fantastic selections as well.
Rookie of the Year - Wickenheiser Trophy - From the day she touched the ice with Team Canada, Wickenheiser was a force. When the discussion for greatest of all time comes up, her name is quickly in the conversation. Introducing a new star to the world each season as rookie of year would be an honor befitting Wickenheiser. She began her national team dominance as a young teenager, and made an impact immediately.
Best Defensive Forward - James Trophy - When Angela James stepped on the ice, opponents took notice. In her career, she played both defence and forward, but always controlled her own zone, played physically, and balanced scoring and defending. Similar to Heaney, it's a loss to the sport not to have James playing an integral part in the PWHL, but she certainly sealed her fate by calling out the PWHPA in 2022. To ignore her legacy however, would be an unforgivable oversight. If awards hold names, James is beyond deserving of the recognition.
Sportswoman of the Year - Granato Award - From 1998 to 2004, Cammi Granato captained Team USA at two Olympics and four World Championships totalling zero penalty minutes along with 48 points in 29 games. That's exceptional skill, leadership, and sportwomanship making this the perfect award to honor the legend.
Most Goals - Hefford Trophy - It could be perceived as a conflict of interest to have the key decision maker in a league name a trophy for herself, but Hefford's name had already adorned the CWHL's most outstanding player as voted by the players. So if it isn't the most goals, perhaps it is a players choice award for the person who led the players' association.
Community Award - Fran Rider Award - Some leagues refer to this as a humanitarian award, but whatever you call it, Fran Rider deserves this recognition. No person has moved the needle for women's hockey, in the history of the sport, more than Rider. Without Fran Rider, there would be no women's World Championship, no women's hockey in the Olympics, no CWHL, NWHL, PHF, and you guessed it, no PWHL. The fact she's outside of the Hockey Hall of Fame is a travesty, but the new PWHL has the opportunity to recognize her trailblazing path.
International Player of the Year - Sallinen Trophy - With the need to draw more international recognition and European players to the league, perhaps an award honoring the best non-North American player could aid in celebrating the global game. Riikka Sallinen was the first European ever inducted to the Hockey Hall of Fame, making the Finnish legend the obvious choice for this award.
Coach of the Year - Shannon Miller Award - Canada's coach at the first ever Winter Olympics, a World Championship gold medalist, four-time NCAA champion, WCHA Coach of the Year, and AHCA Coach of the Year. Her accolades are long, and Miller has paved the way for many women coaching in women's hockey, a role still featuring more men than women. She's a legend of the game. If not Miller, Perhaps Vicky Sunohara who is currently one of the best active coaches in the world.
Perseverance and Dedication - Marian Coveny Memorial Trophy - Similar to the Bill Masterton Trophy, the new PWHL will have women overcoming obstacles, injuries, and breaks in their career to come back to the league. Marian Coveny was Canada's first ever captain at the unofficial World Tournament in 1987. In 2022, Coveny passed away following a battle with cancer. Throughout her career, she continued playing hockey, and loving the game no matter what. When people told her 'no,' that is wasn't possible, Coveny persevered. Her legacy should not be lost.
Leadership and Inclusion - Harrison Browne Award - Hockey has a culture issue. It's a well understood issue that is now the topic of efforts to improve the game as an inclusive space. Women's hockey has a unique opportunity to be the leader in this area, and launching a leadership and inclusion award for individuals doing this work is another way to showcase the good that is happening. A player like Saroya Tinker, who is the executive director of Black Girl Hockey Club Canada could have won such an award this year. Perhaps the most notable individual in women's hockey history is transgender athlete Harrison Browne. Browne transitioned following his playing career, but was vocal about his identity, and remains one of the sport's best advocates for change.