DETROIT (AP) — The Boston Fleet dominated the PWHL awards on Tuesday night, led by Aerin Frankel who earned the Billie Jean King MVP trophy and goalie of the year honors.
The 27-year-old Frankel set a PWHL record with eight shutouts and finished tied with Montreal’s Ann-Renee Desbiens in setting another league mark with 19 wins. She did so in 26 games in backstopping Boston to a 62-point finish — representing an 18-point jump from the previous season. The Fleet qualified for playoffs for the second time in three years before being eliminated by Ottawa in the semifinals.
The Fleet nearly swept the awards, with Megan Keller earning defender of the year honors. Boston’s Kris Sparre was voted coach of the year following his first season with the Fleet. And Fleet defender Haley Winn, the second pick in the draft last year, was the league’s rookie of the year.
The only major award won by a non-Boston player was Minnesota’s Kelly Pannek, who earned forward of the year honors. Pannek led the league with 33 points and, along with Desbiens, was an MVP finalist.
It was also a big night for USA Hockey, with Frankel, Keller, Winn and Pannek all members of the U.S. team that won gold at the Milan Cortina Games.
The American-themed hockey celebration is expected to continue in Detroit on Wednesday with five more U.S. Olympians projected to go in the first round of the PWHL draft.
The awards are determined by a vote of media members, PWHL general managers and coaches and the PWHL Players Association.
Frankel highlighted the evening. From Briarcliff Manor, New York, she finished second behind Desbiens with a 1.17 goals-against average and a .953 save percentage.
And Frankel also beat out Desbiens and Ottawa Charge Gwyneth Philips in the goalie of the year vote.
— The 30-year-old Keller led all PWHL defenders with 22 points (seven goals, 15 assists). Keller played a major role on the U.S. Olympic team by scoring the gold medal-clinching goal in a 2-1 overtime victory over Canada.
— Sparre had no previous experience coaching women. He joined the Fleet after spending three years as an assistant with San Diego of the American Hockey League. He’s now moving on from Boston in taking over the PWHL’s expansion franchise in Hamilton, Ontario, to be closer to his home.
— The 22-year-old Winn is from Rochester, New York, and finished tied for second among PWHL rookies with 19 points (five goals, 14 assists) in 30 games.
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