The 2024-25 PWHL season is in the books. It was another year where the stars came out to play with the likes of Hilary Knight, Sarah Fillier, and Marie-Philip Poulin atop the league scoring leaders.
Here's a look at the top 25 players from the PWHL this season:
1. Marie-Philip Poulin - Montreal Victoire
Poulin led the league in goals with 19, but her dominance spans well beyond her goal scoring total. In short, Poulin is the best player in the world.
2. Renata Fast - Toronto Sceptres
It seems like Fast never comes off the ice for Toronto. She can control the game at both ends. She's the best defender in pro women's hockey, and the only defender capable of challenging the top echelon of forwards for "best" in the world at any position.
3. Hilary Knight - Boston Fleet
Her dominance this season was welcomed by the Boston Fleet and fans. Knight looked faster, her scoring returned, and the big, powerful forward we've known for a decade returned to full form, which was bad news for opponents.
4. Sarah Fillier - New York Sirens
We knew she'd be good, but it might be a stretch to claim people expected Fillier would tie for the league lead in scoring as a rookie. She couldn't get New York to the playoffs, but she made them a much more dynamic team.
5. Daryl Watts - Toronto Sceptres
She's the player that has changed so many conversations and misconceptions about the thought that all of the world's top players were already on national teams. Watts is dynamic, she thinks and executives high skill plays at a level few in the league can, and she's exciting to watch.
6. Taylor Heise - Minnesota Frost
She didn't lead Minnesota in scoring, but when you watch the deference teams pay to Heise, you know how good she is. She's got elite skills and remains one of only a handful of players capable of lifting fans from their seats night in and night out.
7. Kendall Coyne Schofield - Minnesota Frost
Coyne Schofield's speed and competitiveness remain her calling cards. It's hard not to notice when she's on the ice, and her offensive production followed this season.
8. Alex Carpenter - New York Sirens
If not for an early season hiccup, Carpenter and Fillier may have sat atop the league's scoring ladder together. She sees the game at a speed others can't, she's an elite playmaker, can score, and uses her speed to frustrate.
9. Aerin Frankel - Boston Fleet
Without Frankel, the Boston Fleet may have been the league's basement dweller. She remains in elite company among goaltenders and proves it night in and night out.
10. Ann-Renee Desbiens - Montreal Victoire
Desbiens had a spectacular season making Montreal a tough team to beat even on the night's they weren't firing on all cylinders. She showed her international stardom can transfer to a full season campaign.
11. Hannah Miller - Toronto Sceptres
Her consistent scoring across two seasons in the league, goal scoring prowess, and two-way game have earned Miller many accolades. It also earned her a spot on Team Canada until the IIHF deemed her ineligible.
12. Alina Muller - Boston Fleet
If not for her slow start, and a season ending injury at Worlds, Muller is likely a top five scorer in this league. She's the engine that drives Boston with her ability to read the ice, and hyper-competitiveness.
13. Megan Keller - Boston Fleet
Keller is carrying way too much load in Boston which at times is hurting her game. She's big, physical, can transport pucks, generate offense, and controls the game from the blueline. Boston has struggled to bring along a counterpart for her in order to truly let Keller flourish.
14. Lee Stecklein - Minnesota Frost
While flash and points are what typically gets defenders noticed, with Stecklein it's consistency, smart plays, and the ability to shut down the best. She's big, she's mobile, and she's the quiet leader behind Minnesota's success.
15. Laura Stacey - Montreal Victoire
Perhaps the prototypical power forward in the PWHL, there's little stopping Stacey when she gets up to full speed, and heaven forbid you get in her way. She drives back defenders and makes room for her teammates, but can score with skill as well.
16. Cayla Barnes - Montreal Victoire
There were several defenders who outscored Cayla Barnes this season, but few who had the same impact. She took an incredible load off the shoulders of Erin Ambrose which was a big part to Montreal's success. She played a key role at both ends of the ice, and will be a top blueliner in this league for the remainder of her career.
17. Sophie Jaques - Minnesota Frost
What a season for Jaques. Is she still learning some of the finer points of the defensive position? Sure. But her impact on the ice is unquestionable. This season you could see her confidence rise, and when Jaques steps into the offensive attack, few are more dangerous.
18. Hannah Bilka - Boston Fleet
We only got a shortened sample size, but when she was in the lineup, Hannah Bilka was a difference maker. She's got great hands, can burn with her speed, and finds ways to get into scoring position. The Fleet were significantly better with Bilka around, and it will be exciting to see what a full season means to her output.
19. Erin Ambrose - Montreal Victoire
Don't let Erin Ambrose's numbers fool you this season. She certainly didn't lose any of the effectiveness that made her the inaugural PWHL Defender of the Year. Ambrose remains one of the league's best blueliners, and was freed from the incredible expectations placed on her last year. Few are as consistent.
20. Claire Thompson - Minnesota Frost
The free skating, playmaking defender we all remembered didn't lose a step in her year away from the game. Instead Thompson stepped in and immediately asserted herself as one of the PWHL's top offensive blueliners.
21. Ella Shelton - New York Sirens
For how poorly the Sirens did this year, they certainly have a lot of top players. Shelton is a strong puck moving defender who played big minutes for New York. She is a consistent special teams threat and handles herself physically.
22 Emily Clark - Ottawa Charge
When you look at the Ottawa Charge, night in and night out, Clark was their most consistent player. Her impact offensively is crucial, but it's her two way play, her smarts, leadership, and strong forecheck that keep Ottawa's motor running.
23. Susanna Tapani - Boston Fleet
Tapani doesn't get the credit she deserves. She seldom steps on the ice without generating chances, or making a key play in her own zone. Her veteran presence is felt and she remains one of the top European players in the league.
24. Jessie Eldridge - New York Sirens
Eldridge might be a beneficiary to a point of Fillier and Carpenter, but she's proven she can consistently carry her own offensively. Eldridge's 200-foot game is what keeps her off the national team, but in scoring position, few as as dangerous.
25. Tereza Vanisova - Ottawa Charge
She's gritty, in your face, can stick handle in tight spaces, and yes, she can score. Vanisova does it all despite playing far less than anyone on this list. Not only was she among league leaders in goals, she led the league in penalty minutes showing her unique combination of skill and pest.