DESBIENS, FRANKEL, PANNEK VOTED PWHL BILLIE JEAN KING MVP AWARD FINALISTS

NEW YORK AND TORONTO (May 27, 2026) – The Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) today announced that Ann-Renée Desbiens of the Montréal Victoire, Aerin Frankel of the Boston Fleet, and Kelly Pannek of the Minnesota Frost have been voted as the three finalists for the 2026 PWHL Billie Jean King MVP award.

The PWHL Billie Jean King MVP award is presented to the player considered most valuable to their team’s success throughout the regular season.

ANN-RENÉE DESBIENS, MONTRÉAL VICTOIRE

Desbiens is one of the first two goaltenders to be named a finalist for the award, alongside Frankel, in recognition of her central role in the Victoire’s success. In 25 games, the 32-year-old co-led the PWHL with a record-setting 19 wins and a league-low six losses among starters and finished the season with a seven-game winning streak that helped the Victoire secure first place in the standings. Her 28 goals against were the fewest among goaltenders with at least 15 starts and part of a Montréal tandem that surrendered just 41 goals, the fewest by any team in history. The Clermont, QC native consistently limited opponents, opening the season with 15 straight games with two or fewer goals against and finished with the second-most shutouts in a single season (seven). Desbiens was the only starting goaltender to post just one game with more than two goals against, closed the campaign with 17 games with one or fewer allowed, and her dominant efficiency was underscored by a record 1.11 goals-against average and .955 save percentage. She posted a career-high 592 saves on 620 shots faced, becoming one of four goaltenders in league history to surpass 500 saves in multiple seasons and one of only two to achieve the milestone in consecutive seasons, alongside Frankel.

AERIN FRANKEL, BOSTON FLEET

Frankel was the backbone of the Fleet, serving as an essential part of their second-place finish and 18-point improvement over 2024-25. Her 19 wins in 26 starts included 14 in regulation and co-led the league with Desbiens for a new single-season record, earning 10 wins despite two or fewer goals of supporting offense. She allowed just 31 goals while anchoring a defense that surrendered 45 overall, the second-fewest all-time, while Boston maintained a 92.9 percent penalty kill efficiency with her in the crease. The 26-year-old from Chappaqua, NY paced the league with eight shutouts to double the previous single-season high and established new league benchmarks with three consecutive shutouts and a clean streak spanning 226:09 while finishing with a record 18 starts with one or fewer goals against. Boston leaned heavily on Frankel’s durability, as she recorded a seven-game win streak from Jan. 14 to Mar. 15 to co-lead the league—alongside Desbiens and Maddie Rooney—and logged 1583:12 between the pipes, the second-highest total in league history. She maintained elite efficiency, finishing second with a 1.17 goals-against average and a .953 save percentage, both career bests, while ranking second with 631 saves on 662 shots faced, turning aside 25 or more shots in half of her appearances.

KELLY PANNEK, MINNESOTA FROST

Pannek is the first Minnesota player to be named a finalist for the award, earning consideration after setting a single-season record with 33 points in 30 games. She was a significant contributor to the league’s most productive offense, factoring on 36.3 percent of the Frost’s record 91 goals scored this season, and impressively gained 22 more points than the previous year, representing the largest single-season improvement in league history. The Frost alternate captain influenced games in multiple ways, finishing with a league-leading 16 goals, seven power-play markers, and four game-winning goals (tied with two others), while converting with a record 27.6 percent shooting efficiency. Pannek tied for second with four games featuring both a goal and an assist and led all skaters with three multi-goal performances. Her playmaking was equally crucial to Minnesota’s success, finishing tied for second with 17 assists, including a PWHL-record 14 at even strength and never went more than two games without recording a point or three games without a goal. The 30-year-old from Plymouth, MN ranked second in the league at the faceoff dot with 341 wins on 575 attempts, posting a 59.3 percent success rate to provide Minnesota with consistent possession in all situations.

A selection committee cast their votes for six regular-season PWHL awards, including Billie Jean King MVP, 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 Billie Jean King MVP 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 Billie Jean King MVP award, voted over finalists Renata Fast (TOR) and Hilary Knight (BOS).

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.