PWHL Awards As We Cross One-Third Of The Season

The PWHL is crossing the 10 game mark, equal to one-third of the regular season. Standout players are beginning to emerge at every position. Here's a look at the top players, and coaches, from across the league and who could be seeing individual hardware come their way if league awards were handed out today.

Coach of the Year

Finalists: Greg Fargo (New York Sirens), Kori Cheverie (Montreal Victoire), Ken Klee (Minnesota Frost)

The Pick: Winning is one thing, but for this award, it's not the only thing. Greg Fargo has managed to dial in the New York Sirens in a way they lacked last year. Players are in better position, while still having the freedom to play a flowing offensive style. Discipline has improved, and there are no rumblings of locker room issues like we heard last year in New York. While Fargo has helped turn around the Sirens, perhaps no coach in the PWHL is doing more with less than Kori Cheverie. On paper the Montreal Victoire look like they should have depth issues, but Cheverie has squeezed every ounce of production out of her lineup. When you listen to Cheverie's post game comments, her tactician mind comes out, and it's clear the thought she puts into each decision. Yes, she has some of the biggest stars in the league, but this team is winning on balance and two-way play. If Fargo gets New York into the playoffs near the top of the league, it might be him, but at the one third point, the pick is Kori Cheverie.

Best Goaltender

Finalists: Emerance Maschmeyer (Ottawa Charge), Corinne Schroeder (New York Sirens), Aerin Frankel (Boston Fleet)

The Pick: This is not an easy decision as Emerance Maschmeyer is Ottawa's MVP, and should be in the discussion for league MVP, because there's arguably no player in the PHWL at the moment making a larger impact on her individual team than Maschmeyer. When you look at the numbers however, and how they've done it, Corinne Schroeder remains a step above. Schroeder is the only netminder in the PWHL with a shutout this season (she has two), and she has a slightly better save percentage at .934, and a significantly better GAA than any other netminder in the league at 1.86. If Maschmeyer can continue as Ottawa's savior, which they'll hope she doesn't need to be, this will likely be her award in the end, but for now, the pick is Corinne Schroeder.

Best Defender

Finalists: Claire Thompson (Minnesota Frost), Renata Fast (Toronto), Erin Ambrose (Montreal), Megan Keller (Boston Fleet), Micah Zandee-Hart (New York Sirens)

The Pick: This is a little bit more of a race than other awards in this league. Claire Thompson will get the advantage in early conversations because of her point totals, but Renata Fast remains the best defender in the league this season. She's playing on a struggling Toronto team, but leads the league in time on ice, blocked shots, is second in hits, and second in defensive scoring. All around, Renata Fast is the pick.

Best Forward

Finalists: Alex Carpenter (New York Sirens), Sarah Fillier, (New York Sirens), Taylor Heise (Minnesota Frost), Hilary Knight (Boston Fleet), Marie-Philip Poulin (Montreal Victoire)

The Pick: This might be one where people disagree because of the unquestioned success of Sara Fillier this season. If you look at her linemate Alex Carpenter however, Carpenter has two game winning goals, the highest shooting percentage at 20.8% among players in the top 20 in league scoring, and is winning draws at a 58.6% rate, among the best in the league as well. Fillier and Carpenter have found a magical chemistry that is leaving teams flummoxed, and both have brought key intangibles to that product. For now however, the pick is Alex Carpenter.

Rookie of the Year

Finalists: Sarah Fillier (New York Sirens), Hannah Bilka (Boston Fleet), Cayla Barnes (Montreal Victoire), Britta Curl-Salemme (Minnesota Frost)

The Pick: Sarah Fillier is the obvious pick, and deserving pick to this point in the season. She leads the league in scoring through a third of the season, and she's done it with consistency rather than spurts. When you watch Fillier's puck movement and decision making, she's obviously thinking the game at another level. The other rookies in this class have valuable roles with their team, but Fillier is not in that class, she's in a class of her own. Sarah Fillier is the pick.

Most Valuable Player

Finalists: Emerance Maschmeyer (Ottawa Charge), Sarah Fillier (New York Sirens), Alex Carpenter (New York Sirens), Hilary Knight (Boston Fleet)

The Pick: This award is all about the player's impact on their team and across the league. So in New York, while Filllier and Carpenter are worthy of recognition, as is Corinne Schroeder, they're all carrying the load together. If you removed one would it collapse? Potentially. But there is one team in the league being driven largely by a single player at the moment. That team has managed to knock off teams they shouldn't because of that player, and have been given the opportunity to find their game because of this player. That team is the Ottawa Charge, and that player is Emerance Maschmeyer. How can a player be MVP but not the league's best goaltender in these picks? Maschmeyer could very well be named best goalie as well, and she likely would be if she were facing less load, and the shots she was facing weren't consistently coming off turnovers and in high danger areas leaving her exposed. There is no player in this league currently more valuable to their team than Emerance Maschmeyer, which is why she's our one-third pick for MVP.