Spotlight shines on PWHL talent during NHL All-Star Thursday
TORONTO, ON (February 1, 2024) – Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) talent takes centre stage tonight at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto for the Canadian Tire PWHL 3-on-3 Showcase during NHL All-Star Thursday. The action gets underway at 8:00 p.m. ET live on Sportsnet and TVA Sports, and streaming on Sportsnet+, ESPN+ and on the NHL’s YouTube channel.
OVERVIEW
A total of 24 players, comprised of 20 skaters and four goaltenders, will compete in a 20-minute game to help launch NHL All-Star Weekend. Players on the rosters have won a combined 46 Olympic and 146 World Championship medals, as well as 17 NCAA Division I Championships. The two teams have been named in honour of Billie Jean King and Ilana Kloss — PWHL Advisory Board members and long-time advocates of equality for women in sports.
ROSTERS
Team King
Head Coach: Cassie Campbell-Pascall (PWHL Special Advisor)
Celebrity Coach: Tessa Virtue (Olympic and World Champion Figure Skater)
Captain: Kendall Coyne Schofield (Minnesota)
# Player, PWHL Team, Position
Click on names to access PWHL player page
26 Kendall Coyne Schofield, Minnesota (F)
21 Hilary Knight, Boston (F)
11 Alina Müller, Boston (F)
12 Kelly Pannek, Minnesota (F)
29 Marie-Philip Poulin, Montreal (F)
40 Blayre Turnbull, Toronto (F)
15 Savannah Harmon, Ottawa (D)
5 Megan Keller, Boston (D)
17 Ella Shelton, New York (D)
2 Lee Stecklein, Minnesota (D)
35 Ann-Renée Desbiens, Montreal (G)
31 Aerin Frankel, Boston (G)
Team Kloss
Head Coach: Meghan Duggan (New Jersey Devils Director of Player Development)
Celebrity Coach: Jonquel Jones (2021 WNBA MVP and New York Liberty forward)
Captain: Brianne Jenner (Ottawa)
# Player, PWHL Team, Position
Click on names to access PWHL player page
25 Alex Carpenter, New York (F)
26 Emily Clark, Ottawa (F)
27 Taylor Heise, Minnesota (F)
19 Brianne Jenner, Ottawa (F)
20 Sarah Nurse, Toronto (F)
11 Abby Roque, New York (F)
7 Laura Stacey, Montreal (F)
23 Erin Ambrose, Montreal (D)
14 Renata Fast, Toronto (D)
3 Jocelyne Larocque, Toronto (D)
29 Nicole Hensley, Minnesota (G)
38 Emerance Maschmeyer, Ottawa (G)
The 24 players were selected by the PWHL and include 17 of the 18 inaugural PWHL free-agent signings (New York’s Micah Zandee-Hart was not named to the rosters due to injury), and seven of the first twelve selections from the first-ever PWHL Draft, including all six first round picks.
PWHL STATS LEADERS
Most Points: Carpenter (9) & Müller (9)
Most Goals: Poulin (6) tied for first
Most Assists: Müller (7)
Defender Points: Shelton (8)
PP Points: Shelton (5)
SH Points: Larocque (1) & Pannek (1) tied for first
Active Point Streaks: Müller (4) & Jenner (3)
Face-Offs Won: Poulin (109)
Face-Off Percentage: Roque (60.8)
Shots: Stacey (31) third overall
Most PIM: Stecklein (12)
Wins: Hensley (4)
OFFICIALS
Referees Samantha Hiller (Boulder, Colo.) and Elizabeth Mantha (Longueuil, Que.) and linespersons Alexandra Clarke (Weyburn, Sask.) and Kirsten Welsh (Blackstock, Ont.) – officials from the American Hockey League and the PWHL — will officiate the game.
HISTORY
Kendall Coyne Schofield became the first woman ever to compete in the NHL All-Star Skills Competition in San Jose in 2019 with her electrifying performance in the Fastest Skater contest.
In 2020, teams of American and Canadian National Team players went head-to-head in the Elite Women’s 3-on-3 as part of the NHL’s All-Star Skills event in St. Louis. PWHL players on Team USA were Alex Carpenter, Kendall Coyne Schofield, Hilary Knight, and Lee Stecklein. Team Canada consisted of Ann-Renée Desbiens, Renata Fast, Sarah Nurse, Marie-Philip Poulin, Natalie Spooner (Toronto), and Blayre Turnbull. Team Canada won the game by a score of 2-1.
At the 2023 event in Florida, Alex Carpenter, Emily Clark, Hilary Knight, and Sarah Nurse took part in the skills competition in Florida, with Nurse’s deke in the breakaway contest among the highlights.
BONUS CONTENT
Read and watch more about what PWHL players from Minnesota, Montreal, New York, Ottawa, Toronto, and Boston had to say as they prepare for their NHL All-Star experience.
Watch coaches Cassie Campbell-Pascall and Meghan Duggan break down their Showcase rosters.
Download pre-game notes (PDF) from #NHLStats.
2024 NHL ALL-STAR WEEKEND INFORMATION
The 2024 NHL® All-Star Weekend will be hosted by the Toronto Maple Leafs at Scotiabank Arena, and will include NHL All-Star Thursday™ on Feb. 1, NHL All-Star Skills™ presented by DraftKings Sportsbook on Friday, Feb. 2, and the Honda (U.S.) / Rogers (Canada) NHL® All-Star Game on Saturday, Feb. 3. Fans can sign up to receive news and updates on the 2024 NHL All-Star Weekend at https://events.nhl.com/.