NEW YORK AND TORONTO – The Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) today announced that PWHL New York center Alex Carpenter, PWHL Montréal center Marie-Philip Poulin and PWHL Toronto right wing Natalie Spooner have been voted as the three finalists for the 2024 Billie Jean King MVP award.
The Billie Jean King MVP award is presented to the player considered most valuable to their team’s success throughout the regular season.
An 18-member selection committee cast their votes for six regular-season PWHL awards, including the Billie Jean King MVP award, during the gap between the regular season’s end and the playoffs’ beginning. The three players that received the most voting points have been named finalists. Winners of all PWHL Awards, presented by Woody Creek Distillers, will be announced in June.
Details about each of the three finalists, listed in alphabetical order, can be found below:
Alex Carpenter, C, PWHL New York
Alex Carpenter of PWHL New York is in contention for the prestigious Billie Jean King MVP award for her outstanding performance this season. Carpenter showcased her offensive prowess by finishing tied for second in the PWHL with 23 points (8G, 15A) across 24 games––which led her team––as she contributed to 43.3% of New York’s total goals. She tied for first in the league in assists while co-leading New York in goals. Her impact was particularly pronounced on the powerplay, where she co-led the league with 10 powerplay points (3G, 7A), accounting for over half of New York’s goals with the advantage as the team achieved the second-highest powerplay percentage at 24.4%. Carpenter also demonstrated her faceoff dominance by winning 59% of her 415 faceoffs, representing the second-best efficiency among players who took more than 50 draws. She maintained a consistent scoring presence, tying for the longest point streak at six games (5G, 3A), and was clutch in critical moments, netting back-to-back overtime-winning goals and one of New York’s two shorthanded tallies. Born in Reading, MA, Carpenter averaged 20:32 TOI and was a consistent presence for her team throughout the regular season.
Marie-Philip Poulin, C, PWHL Montréal
Marie-Philip Poulin has earned a nomination for the Billie Jean King MVP award after an exceptional performance with PWHL Montréal this season. Poulin finished the regular season tied for second in the league with 23 points (10G, 13A) in just 21 games, boasting an impressive 1.10 points per game, which ranks second in the PWHL. Her ten goals tied for the fourth in the league, while her 13 assists ranked fifth. The captain led her team in points and was the co-leader in goals, consistently contributing to her team’s success with seven multi-point games, including four three-point performances. Poulin was a dominant force in faceoffs, winning 57.9% of her 449 draws, which was the highest faceoff total in the league, despite playing in fewer games than other category leaders. She also excelled defensively, tying for sixth in plus-minus at +8, the best mark on Montréal. She averaged 21:14 of ice time per game and was instrumental in clutch situations, scoring two game-winning goals. Born in Beauceville, QC, Poulin’s remarkable season and all-around play contributed to PWHL Montréal finishing the regular season in second place.
Natalie Spooner, RW, PWHL Toronto
Natalie Spooner has earned consideration for the Billie Jean King MVP award following a dominant season with PWHL Toronto. Spooner led the league in points with 27 (20G, 7A) in 24 games played, and her 20 goals were nine more than any other player. She also topped the league with an average of 1.13 points per game, nine multi-point performances, and five game-winning goals. Spooner tied for the longest point streak at six games and further demonstrated her value by scoring 29% of her team’s goals— and recording points on 39% of them. She was a powerhouse on the powerplay, scoring seven times on the advantage —more than double the next highest total—accounting for 63.6% of Toronto’s powerplay goals. She led the PWHL with 101 shots on goal and her shooting percentage of 19.8% was the highest among all players that registered more than 30 shots on goal. Spooner notably scored seven goals over a three-game span from January 26 to February 14, sparking Toronto’s 11-game winning streak. Additionally, Spooner was third in the league in plus-minus rating at +11. Born in Scarborough, ON, Spooner’s exceptional achievements this season were key in helping PWHL Toronto clinch first place in the regular season.
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