JANUARY 29, 2024 —Boston center Alina Müller, Ottawa center Brianne Jenner and Toronto right wing Natalie Spooner have been named the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) ‘3 Stars of the Week’ for the week ending January 28.
FIRST STAR – ALINA MÜLLER, C, BOSTON
Müller takes first star honors a week after being named third star of the week. The 2023 college grad led all players in scoring last week, with two goals and two assists in two games played. Müller scored her first PWHL goal— a power-play marker— on January 24 against Ottawa after entering the game with five assists through her first five games. She added an assist on the game-winning-goal with just 52 seconds remaining in regulation play, clinching three standings points for her team. Müller then made it two games in a row with a goal, scoring a first-period tally against Minnesota on January 27. The Swiss star once again assisted on the game-winning goal, this time in overtime, securing her team’s second win of the week. Müller now shares the PWHL scoring lead with New York’s Alex Carpenter with nine points. She also leads the assist category with seven through six games played. The center has amassed eight points in her past four games, propelling Boston to third place in league standings.
SECOND STAR – BRIANNE JENNER, C, OTTAWA
Jenner makes her first appearance on the ‘3 Stars of the Week’ list after recording her first three points of the season. The forward scored her first PWHL goal, the game-winner, in a 3-1 win against Toronto on January 23. In her team’s next game against Boston, Jenner recorded a power-play assist in the third period—her first PWHL assist — which, at the time, tied the game 2-2 after her team had a two-goal deficit earlier in the match. She also won 72.7% of her face-offs. Jenner finished her week in Montréal, recording another assist, which put her point streak at three games, in an overtime loss. The helper was a perfect saucer pass across the ice on the power play to teammate Hayley Scamurra, who tied the game 1-1 in the third period and headed the game toward overtime. Jenner finished the week with a face-off winning percentage of 61.3% across three games.
THIRD STAR – NATALIE SPOONER, RW, TORONTO
In two games played last week, Spooner netted both goals in a 2-0 win against New York, her team’s first victory on home ice this season. She scored the winner by carrying the puck into the offensive zone, evading the New York defenders, then cutting across the crease and tucking the puck between the goaltender’s pads. With five goals thus far, Spooner leads her team in goal scoring and is one of two players on Toronto with multiple goals. Her insurance marker against New York is her second power-play goal of the year— she’s the only Toronto player to score on the advantage this season. Spooner now sits second in goals in the league, one behind co-leaders Marie-Philip Poulin (MTL) and Grace Zumwinkle (MIN).
The ‘3 Stars of the Week’ will be announced each Monday throughout the season and will encompass games from the previous Monday through Sunday. Points will be awarded to each selection and will help determine rankings at the end of the regular season.
First Star = 30 Points
Second Star = 20 Points
Third Star = 10 Points
Standings after January are as follows:
- Marie-Philip Poulin (MTL) = 60 Points
- Alina Müller (BOS) = 40 Points
- Grace Zumwinkle (MIN) = 30 Points
- Alex Carpenter (NY) = 20 Points
- Jade Downie-Landry (NY) = 20 Points
- Brianne Jenner (NY) = 20 Points
- Ella Shelton (NY) = 20 Points
- Taylor Heise (MIN) = 10 Points
- Corinne Schroeder (NY) = 10 Points
- Natalie Spooner (TOR) = 10 Points
