Aerin Frankel capped a historic PWHL season with the Billie Jean King MVP trophy and goalie of the year honours, as the Boston Fleet dominated the league’s awards on Tuesday night. Megan Keller won defender of the year, Kris Sparre was named coach of the year,
DETROIT — The room still had the pulse of a championship celebration, but Boston’s Aerin Frankel didn’t need fireworks. She already had numbers.
On Tuesday night, Frankel powered the Fleet to the biggest night of the PWHL awards, collecting the Billie Jean King MVP trophy and goalie of the year honours as Boston leaned into a season that turned into dominance—then turned into hardware.
Frankel. 27. set a PWHL record with eight shutouts and finished tied with Montreal’s Ann-Renee Desbiens on another league mark with 19 wins. She did it in 26 games, backstopping Boston to a 62-point finish—an 18-point jump from the previous season. Boston qualified for the playoffs for the second time in three years. only to be eliminated by Ottawa in the semifinals.
The Fleet nearly swept the awards. Megan Keller was voted defender of the year. Kris Sparre was named coach of the year following his first season with the Fleet. And Haley Winn—Boston’s second pick in the draft last year—was voted rookie of the year.
For all the Boston momentum, one award went to Minnesota. Kelly Pannek won forward of the year, leading the league with 33 points. Pannek also, along with Desbiens, was an MVP finalist.
There was extra weight to the night for USA Hockey, too. Frankel, Keller, Winn and Pannek were all members of the U.S. team that won gold at the Milan Cortina Games.
Frankel was the headline, and her performance matched the moment. From Briarcliff Manor, New York, she finished second behind Desbiens with a 1.17 goals-against average and a .953 save percentage. She also beat out Desbiens and Ottawa Charge’s Gwyneth Philips in the goalie of the year vote.
Keller’s case for defender of the year rested on production. The 30-year-old Keller led all PWHL defenders with 22 points—seven goals and 15 assists. Her season also fed directly into U.S. Olympic glory: Keller scored the gold medal-clinching goal in a 2-1 overtime victory over Canada.
Sparre’s path into the spotlight was different. He had no previous experience coaching women before joining Boston. He arrived after spending three years as an assistant with San Diego of the American Hockey League. and now his next move is already set: he will leave the Fleet to take over the PWHL’s expansion franchise in Hamilton. Ont. to be closer to his home.
Winn’s story carried a rookie’s pace and a rookie’s promise. The 22-year-old, from Rochester, New York, finished tied for second among PWHL rookies with 19 points—five goals and 14 assists in 30 games.
The rest of the awards rounded out a league-wide celebration across teams and cities:
Ashton Bell, Vancouver Goldeneyes
Marlene Boissonnault, Minnesota Frost
Shiann Darkangelo, Montreal Victoire
Emma Woods, Toronto Sceptres
The 2025-26 season marks the first year that the Intact Impact Award has been given out. The four recipients were recognized for their leadership, integrity, and commitment to their teammates.
Rebecca Leslie, Ottawa Charge
The PWHL’s hockey for all award is given to the player who made the greatest impact in their community during the regular season. A $10,000 donation will be made to a charity of the winner’s choice that supports grassroots hockey.
Kelly Pannek, Forward, Minnesota Frost
Taylor Heise, Forward, Minnesota Frost
Brianne Jenner, Forward, Ottawa Charge
Megan Keller, Defender, Boston Fleet
Sophie Jaques, Defender, Vancouver Goldeneyes
Aerin Frankel, Goalie, Boston Fleet
Laura Stacey, Forward, Montreal Victoire
Rebecca Lesliue, Forward, Ottawa Charge
Britta Curl-Salemme, Forward, Minnesota Frost
Nicole Gosling, Defender, Montreal Victoire
Haley Winn, Defender, Boston Fleet
Ann-Renée Desbiens, Goalie, Montreal Victoire
Casey O’Brien, Forward, New York Sirens
Kristýna Kaltounková, Forward, New York Sirens
Abby Newhook, Forward, Boston Fleet
Nicole Gosling, Defender, Montreal Victoire
Haley Winn, Defender, Boston Fleet
Hannah Murphy, Goalie, Seattle Torrent
The voting behind the awards came from media members, PWHL general managers and coaches, and the PWHL Players Association.
And the party, with an American-themed hockey celebration, was expected to roll on in Detroit on Wednesday as five more U.S. Olympians are projected to go in the first round of the PWHL draft.
PWHL Boston Fleet Aerin Frankel Billie Jean King MVP goalie of the year Megan Keller defender of the year Kris Sparre coach of the year Haley Winn rookie of the year Kelly Pannek forward of the year Ann-Renee Desbiens