HEISE, JENNER, PANNEK VOTED PWHL FORWARD OF THE YEAR FINALISTS

NEW YORK AND TORONTO (May 19, 2026) – The Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) today announced that Taylor Heise of the Minnesota Frost, Brianne Jenner of the Ottawa Charge, and Kelly Pannek of the Minnesota Frost have been voted as the three finalists for the 2026 PWHL Forward of the Year award.

The PWHL Forward of the Year award is presented to the forward who showcases the most outstanding ability at the position throughout the regular season.

TAYLOR HEISE, MINNESOTA FROST

Heise continued to elevate her game this season, emerging among the league’s top performers and establishing multiple records. The Minnesota forward finished the regular season with 30 points in 30 games, second overall in scoring and tied for second with a point per game average of 1.00, becoming one of just two players in league history to reach the 30-point plateau in a single season, alongside Pannek. Heise’s 13 goals tied for fourth league-wide and included a goal scored just 16 seconds into play on April 1, setting a PWHL regular-season record for the fastest goal. The Lake City, MN native also posted a career-high 17 assists, tied for second most among all skaters, with 13 coming at even strength (second in the league) and 10 registered as primary helpers (tied for third). Heise set a PWHL single-season record with six multi-assist games, is one of two players with 40 all-time assists, and shared the league lead with eight multi-point outings. The first overall pick in the league’s inaugural draft finished second in plus/minus rating at +18, trailing only Frost captain Kendall Coyne Schofield (+22). She also tied for the league high with points in six consecutive games in January (2G, 8A) and became the first player in PWHL history to record two separate four-game goal streaks in a single season (March 8 to 18; March 29 to April 11).

BRIANNE JENNER, OTTAWA CHARGE

Jenner skated to a career-best regular season in 2025-26 with 26 points in 30 games, improving upon a previous career high of 20 points in 24 games during the inaugural campaign. That offensive output set a new team record and ranked fourth overall, fueled by strong special-teams production including four power-play goals and eight points on the player advantage, both second most in the PWHL. The Charge captain also tied to lead all skaters with four shootout goals and two shorthanded points (1G, 1A). Jenner recorded three game-winning goals, tied for second most in the league, helping Ottawa post a 5-4-0-1 record in games where she found the back of the net. The 35-year-old Oakville, ON native set a new PWHL record by completing 15 assist-to-goal combinations with teammate Rebecca Leslie—four more than the next-closest pairing and five more than the previous league mark. Ottawa’s all-time scoring leader surpassed 60 career points on April 22 and closed the regular season on a strong note with seven points (3G, 4A) over a four-game span, her most since recording nine (6G, 3A) across four games from March 20 to April 24, 2024. Jenner also served as Ottawa’s primary faceoff option, winning 311 of 545 draws to become the fourth player in PWHL history to eclipse 300 faceoff wins in a single season.

KELLY PANNEK, MINNESOTA FROST

Pannek set new single-season standards in her third campaign, finishing atop the league leaderboard in multiple categories and more than doubling a previous career-high of 16 points from the inaugural season. The Frost alternate captain became the second player to claim both the Points Leader Award and Top Goal Scorer Award, joining Natalie Spooner (20-7—27 in 2024), after pacing the league with 16 goals and a PWHL single-season record 33 points in 30 games. Pannek tied for the league lead with three multi-goal games, and her seven power-play goals matched Spooner’s league record set in 24 games of the inaugural season. The 30-year-old set a record with 14 assists on even-strength goals, and her 17 total helpers tied for second overall. Dominant at the faceoff dot for Minnesota, she logged 341 wins on 575 attempts, second-most in the league, for a 59.3 percent efficiency that ranked third among centers with more than 15 draws. Her 341 faceoff wins ranks third all-time, and she is one of only two players with over 1,500 faceoffs in her career. The Plymouth, MN native also earned a share of the league lead with four game-winning goals and owned the highest shooting percentage at 27.6 percent among skaters with a minimum of 15 shots on goal.

A selection committee cast their votes for six regular-season PWHL awards, including Forward of the Year, along with the league’s First and Second All-Star Teams and an All-Rookie Team, between the conclusion of regular season and the commencement of playoffs. The three players that received the most voting points for Forward of the Year have been named finalists. Winners of all PWHL Awards will be announced on June 16 in Detroit.

Last season, Montréal’s Marie-Philip Poulin was the recipient of the Forward of the Year award, voted over finalists Sarah Fillier (New York) and Hilary Knight (Boston).

ABOUT THE PROFESSIONAL WOMEN’S HOCKEY LEAGUE (PWHL)

The Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) is a professional ice hockey league in North America that features the best women’s players in the world. As of the 2025-26 season, it is comprised of eight teams — Boston, Minnesota, Montréal, New York, Ottawa, Seattle, Toronto, and Vancouver — with Detroit, Hamilton, Las Vegas, and San Jose added as the 9th, 10th, 11th, and 12th teams ahead of the 2026-27 season. Launched on January 1, 2024, the PWHL has broken multiple attendance records and holds the worldwide all-time record for a women’s hockey game. The league was recognized by Sports Business Journal as the Sports Breakthrough of the Year, and ranked No. 1 in Canada for corporate reputation in both 2024 and 2025, according to the Harris Poll. Visit thepwhl.com to purchase tickets and merchandise, and subscribe to the PWHL e-newsletter for the latest updates. Follow the league on social media @thepwhlofficial.