Montreal captain Marie-Philip Poulin wins PWHL's Billie Jean King MVP award

OTTAWA, Ontario (AP) — Montreal Victoire captain Marie-Philip Poulin has won the Professional Women’s Hockey League’s Billie Jean King MVP Award for the 2024-25 season.

Poulin, who was also named forward of the year, was presented the awards at a ceremony Wednesday in Ottawa.

The 34-year-old Poulin led the league with 19 goals and finished fourth with 26 points in 30 games.

Poulin was also a finalist for the MVP and top forward awards in the inaugural 2024 PWHL season. Both awards were won by Toronto’s Natalie Spooner.

The awards capped another year of major achievements for Poulin, who was named the IIHF's Female Player of the Year earlier this month after taking MVP honors at the women's world championship in April with a tournament-leading 12 points (four goals, eight assists).

Toronto Sceptres defender Renata Fast and Boston Fleet captain Hilary Knight (now with Seattle) were the other MVP finalists, while Knight and New York Sirens forward Sarah Fillier were up for forward of the year.

Fast and Fillier did not leave empty-handed. Fast took home defender of the year honors while Fillier was named the league’s top rookie.

The 30-year-old Fast tied for first in scoring among defenders with 22 points in 30 games, led the league with 63 hits and led all skaters with an average of 24 minutes, 39 seconds of ice time per game.

Sophie Jaques and Claire Thompson of the PWHL champion Minnesota Frost (both now with Vancouver) were the other finalists.

Fillier, 25, tied for the league lead with 29 points in 30 games and led the league with five power-play goals.

Montreal forward Jenn Gardiner (now with Vancouver) and Ottawa goaltender Gwyneth Philips also were finalists.

Montreal’s Ann-Renée Desbiens took goaltender of the year honors. The 31-year-old led all goalies with 15 wins and her 1.86 goals-against average and .932 save percentage were top marks among all starters.

Philips and Boston’s Aerin Frankel also were finalists.

Montreal’s Kori Cheverie won coach of the year after leading the Victoire to first place in the PWHL standings with a 12-7-3-8 record. Ottawa’s Carla MacLeod and Toronto’s Troy Ryan, who won the award last year, were also in the running.

Victoire forward Laura Stacey won the Hockey For All Award given to the player “who made the greatest impact in their community.”

Poulin, Fillier, Knight, Fast, Jaques and Desbiens were named to the league’s first all-star team.

Minnesota’s Kendall Coyne Schofield, Ottawa’s Tereza Vanisova (now Vancouver), Toronto’s Daryl Watts, New York’s Ella Shelton (now Toronto), Thompson and Frankel were named to the second all-star team.

Fillier, Gardiner, Minnesota’s Britta Curl-Salemme, Montreal’s Cayla Barnes and Anna Wilgren (both now with Seattle) and Philips made up the all-rookie squad.

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AP women's hockey: https://apnews.com/hub/womens-hockey