Desbiens, Frankel, Philips Voted PWHL Goaltender of the Year Finalist

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NEW YORK AND TORONTO (May 15, 2025) – The Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) today announced that Ann-Renée Desbiens of the Montréal Victoire, Aerin Frankel of the Boston Fleet, and Gwyneth Philips of the Ottawa Charge have been voted as the three finalists for the 2025 PWHL Goaltender of the Year award, presented by Rogers.

The PWHL Goaltender of the Year award is presented by Rogers to the goaltender who showcases the most outstanding ability at the position throughout the regular season.

ANN-RENÉE DESBIENS, MONTRÉAL VICTOIRE

Desbiens was the backbone between the pipes for the first-place Victoire and a significant contributor to her team’s success. She led all goaltenders with 15 wins, and her 1.86 goals-against average and .932 save percentage were top marks among all starters. Of her four losses, only two were in regulation – the fewest among starting netminders. Desbiens was the only goaltender to win six straight games this season and achieved the feat during a record stretch of 14 consecutive starts allowing two or fewer goals. The 31-year-old from Clermont, QC, ranked third with 518 saves and was one of only two goaltenders to post a 40-save performance. Her 21 appearances and 1228:17 minutes trailed only Frankel, despite an injury that kept Desbiens inactive for three games.

AERIN FRANKEL, BOSTON FLEET

Frankel becomes the first two-time finalist for the award in a season where she was a fixture in goal for the Fleet, leading the league with 23 starts, 1342:18 minutes played, and making a league-high 591 saves. She finished second with 12 wins, second among starting goaltenders with a .921 save percentage, and fifth with a 2.28 goals-against average. The 25-year-old from Chappaqua, NY, led the league with five performances of 35 saves or more and put together a stretch of five consecutive wins – capped by a shutout victory on Feb. 12. Frankel also showed her poise under pressure by going a perfect 3-0 in shootouts, in which she turned aside an impressive 12-of-13 attempts for a shootout save percentage of .923.

GWYNETH PHILIPS, OTTAWA CHARGE

Philips made the most of every opportunity in the Charge’s crease during her first professional season. The third-round pick in the 2024 PWHL Draft was thrust into action in the thick of a playoff race and won five of her eight consecutive starts to end the season, including six with two or fewer goals allowed, helping secure the team’s first-ever postseason berth. Overall, Philips recorded eight wins in 15 appearances, tied for second with two shutouts, posted a 2.11 goals-against average that was third-best among starters, and a .919 save percentage that tied for third. The 24-year-old from Athens, OH, became the first PWHL rookie to record a shutout, doing so on Jan. 21 in just her third career start.

A selection committee cast their votes for six regular-season PWHL awards, including Goaltender of the Year, presented by Rogers, along with the league’s First and Second All-Star Teams and an All-Rookie Team, between the conclusion of the regular season and the commencement of playoffs. The three players who received the most voting points for Goaltender of the Year have been named finalists. Winners of all PWHL Awards will be announced on June 25 at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Ottawa.

Last season, Toronto’s Kristen Campbell was the inaugural recipient of the Goaltender of the Year award, presented by Rogers, voted over finalists Frankel and New York’s Corinne Schroeder.

About the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL)

The Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) is a professional ice hockey league in North America that features the best women’s players in the world. It is comprised of eight teams: Boston, Minnesota, Montréal, New York, Ottawa, Seattle, Toronto, and Vancouver. Launched on Jan. 1, 2024, the PWHL has broken multiple attendance records and holds the worldwide all-time record for a women’s hockey game. In 2024, the PWHL was recognized by Sports Business Journal as the Sports Breakthrough of the Year and received the top position in the first-ever Canadian edition of the Harris Poll, which ranks companies’ reputations. Visit thepwhl.com to purchase tickets and merchandise, and subscribe to the PWHL e-newsletter to receive the latest league updates. Follow the league on all social media platforms @thepwhlofficial.