PWHL Announces November's PWHL Starting Six

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Monthly award recognizes top three forwards, two defenders, and one goaltender

NEW YORK AND TORONTO (December 2, 2025) — The Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) today announced the PWHL Starting Six for November, recognizing the top three forwards, two defenders, and one goaltender based on their performance over the previous month. Forwards are selected regardless of position. The PWHL Starting Six is voted on each month by the Women’s Chapter of the Professional Hockey Writers Association (PHWA) and PWHL broadcast personnel.

The PWHL Starting Six for the month of November have been recognized as: Taylor Girard (F – New York Sirens), Brianne Jenner (F – Ottawa Charge), Susanna Tapani (F – Boston Fleet), Megan Keller (D – Boston Fleet), Claire Thompson (D – Vancouver Goldeneyes), Aerin Frankel (G – Boston Fleet).

TAYLOR GIRARD, F, NEW YORK SIRENS

Girard made a splash in her first game of the 2025-26 season on Nov. 22 against the Ottawa Charge, scoring three straight Sirens goals in the third period to secure a 4-0 victory and record the first hat trick of her PWHL career. She opened the scoring 7:49 into the final frame, added a second goal just under five minutes later to add to her team’s lead, and capped her career night with a third goal with just over three minutes remaining. In the process, Girard became the first player in league history to score three goals in a single period and recorded the PWHL’s second natural hat trick, following Minnesota’s Grace Zumwinkle on Jan. 6, 2024. Her three-goal night came on a career-high seven shots on goal and matched her total offensive output from the entire 2024-25 season, when she had one goal and two assists in 23 games. With the performance, the 27-year-old from Macomb, MI, leads all skaters in goals through the first month of play.

BRIANNE JENNER, F, OTTAWA CHARGE

Jenner opened the 2025-26 season with four points, seven shots, and nearly 20 minutes of ice time across her first two games. She currently leads all skaters in total points and ranks tied for second in goals and tied for third in assists. Her standout performance came on Nov. 26 against the Vancouver Goldeneyes, when she produced two goals and two assists to tie the PWHL record for most points in a single game, becoming just the sixth player in league history to reach the mark. She set the tone early, picking the top corner on a power play just 2:25 into the contest to spark her record-tying night. Ottawa’s captain followed with two primary assists and later sealed the victory with a shorthanded empty-netter — contributing in every phase of play as she factored in on goals at even strength, on the power play, and on the penalty kill. The 34-year-old from Oakville, ON, also went 11-for-16 (68.8%) on faceoffs, her highest volume of draws in a single game since the 2024 season.

SUSANNA TAPANI, F, BOSTON FLEET

Tapani opened the season strong, scoring two goals in two games — both game-winners — along with an assist to help lift Boston to the league’s lone 2-0-0-0 start. She currently sits tied for second in league scoring and tied for second in goals scored. The forward opened the season in stride, striking just 1:13 into the team’s opener against Montréal to deliver the fastest goal scored on Opening Weekend and giving Boston an early lift on its first shot of the game. She later added a third-period assist to post her 11th career multi-point effort, building off a 2024-25 season in which she finished second on the Fleet with 11 goals and six multi-point performances. Tapani’s timely scoring carried into Boston’s next outing, where she recorded her second game-winning goal of the young season — already matching her total from last year. The tally also marked the seventh game-winner of her career, pushing the 32-year-old Finnish forward into sole possession of second place on the PWHL’s all-time list with seven game-winners.

MEGAN KELLER, D, BOSTON FLEET

Keller made an immediate impact in her first season as Boston Fleet captain, setting the tone from the opening game with a power play goal — the first of the PWHL season and only the second power play goal of her career, the first having come in Boston’s inaugural campaign. In her second game, Keller added an assist to give her two points through two outings, continuing the strong start that has helped Boston remain the league’s only undefeated team after the first month of play. The 29-year-old from Farmington, MI, leads Boston’s blue line in scoring — tied for second among all PWHL defenders — with one goal and one assist, and has logged a staggering 28:21 of ice time per game through her first two contests. Last season, Keller led all Boston defenders with 13 points (5G, 8A) in 30 games.

CLAIRE THOMPSON, D, VANCOUVER GOLDENEYES

The 2025 PWHL Defender of the Year finalist picked up where she left off last season, opening the 2025-26 campaign by scoring in back-to-back games for Vancouver, while also adding an assist. Thompson became the first Vancouver defender this season to record both a goal and an assist, doing so in the Goldeneyes’ historic inaugural game against the Seattle Torrent, highlighted by her game-tying goal with just over two minutes remaining in regulation to send the contest to overtime. She found the back of the net again in her second game of the season, extending her personal point streak to five consecutive games dating back to the 2025 PWHL Walter Cup Finals. Across three games in November, the 27-year-old from Toronto, ON, averaged more than 21 minutes of ice time per contest and leads all PWHL defenders with three points through three contests, ranking tied for second among all skaters in scoring.

AERIN FRANKEL, G, BOSTON FLEET

Frankel has given Boston a perfect start to the 2025-26 season, allowing just one goal through her first two starts while stopping 49 of 50 shots for a .980 save percentage and a 0.50 goals-against average. She opened the campaign with a 25-save shutout in the season opener, marking the third season-opening shutout in PWHL history. The 26-year-old goaltender from Chappaqua, NY, now ranks tied for third with three career regular-season shutouts. She is the only goaltender in the league to start the season 2-0-0-0, anchoring a Boston team that remains the only undefeated club after the first month of play. Frankel’s early dominance echoes her 2024-25 season, where she posted a .921 save percentage in a league-leading 23 appearances and was a finalist for PWHL Goaltender of the Year for the second straight season.