TORONTO AND NEW YORK – 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 PWHL Forward of the Year award.
The PWHL Forward of the Year award is presented to the forward who showcases the most outstanding ability at the position throughout the regular season.
An 18-member selection committee cast their votes for six regular-season PWHL awards, including Forward of the Year, 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 has earned recognition as a finalist for PWHL Forward of the Year, following her stellar performance throughout the season. Carpenter finished the season tied for second in the PWHL with 23 points (8G, 15A) in 24 games, spending the majority of the season in the top-2 in scoring. She demonstrated her exceptional playmaking skills by finishing the season tied for first in assists with 15. The native of Reading, MA had a six-game point streak (5G, 3A), tied for the longest streak in the PWHL this season. Her contributions on the powerplay were significant, as she co-led the league with 10 powerplay points (3G, 7A). Carpenter showcased her prowess in the faceoff circle, achieving a 59% winning percentage while taking the fifth most draws in the league, with 415 faceoffs. The 30-year-old averaged 20:32 TOI and finished fifth in the league with 89 shots on goal.
Marie-Philip Poulin, C, PWHL Montréal
Marie-Philip Poulin of PWHL Montréal has been voted as a finalist for the PWHL Forward of the Year, demonstrating outstanding performance across multiple facets of the game. Poulin, born in Beauceville, QC, finished the season tied for second in points with 23 (10G, 13A) in just 21 games, boasting the second-highest points-per-game average at 1.10. The 33-year-old led the PWHL with four three-point games and had multi-point efforts in seven of her 21 games played. Her ten 10 goals ranked third in the league, and her 13 assists were the third most in the PWHL. She also added two game-winning goals and five powerplay points (1G, 4A). Poulin excelled in the faceoff circle, with a winning percentage of 57.9% while taking the most draws in the league (449). Additionally, Montréal’s captain maintained the sixth highest plus-minus rating (+8) and an average time on ice of 21:14.
Natalie Spooner, RW, PWHL Toronto
Natalie Spooner of PWHL Toronto is a finalist for the Forward of the Year award after leading the league with 27 points (20G, 7A) in 24 games, averaging 1.13 points-per-game, the highest mark in the PWHL. She led the league in goals scored with 20—nine more than the next highest total —and had a league-high six multi-goal games on the season, including a three-game span where she scored seven goals. Spooner led the PWHL with seven powerplay goals, more than double any other player, and had the most shots on goal with 101. She also finished first in the PWHL in game-winning goals (5), insurance goals (4) and first goals (5). The 33-year-old from Scarborough, ON recorded nine multi-point games and tied the longest point-streak of the season at six games (5G, 4A). Spooner — who scored PWHL Toronto’s first-ever goal on January 5 — averaged 21:46 TOI.
