Along with two new teams, there’s a wealth of key players — many now in new markets — to keep tabs on in the PWHL’s third season.
Will a new coast and a brand-new market of Vancouver fans lift Sarah Nurse to greater heights? After two consecutive first-overall draft picks, do the New York Sirens have a path to the playoffs? Will Marie-Philip Poulin ramp up her production in an Olympic year?
There are plenty of valuable questions looming ahead of puck drop on Nov. 21, and a closer look at some of the standout players who will fill these rosters can help fill in some potential answers.
Here’s one intriguing player from each team to keep an eye on as the third season of the world’s top professional league gets underway.
Renata Fast, Defender, Toronto Sceptres
After losing scoring threats like Nurse and Hannah Miller in the expansion draft, and with Natalie Spooner’s capacity still unknown, the Sceptres must look past the forward position for help. Good thing they’ll have the league’s assist leader, Renata Fast, locking it down on defence. Fast tallied 16 helpers and six goals over 30 games last season. And, as her name suggests, she torments opponents with her speed and is a key threat on the Sceptres’ power play.
Marie-Philip Poulin, Forward, Montreal Victoire
The third time has to be the charm for the best in the world.
After two seasons and two first-round playoff exits, the greatest player in the game has yet to contend in the Walter Cup Final. Poulin led the league in goals last season, with 19, while adding six assists but lacked the circumstances of 2026. For not only is Captain Clutch readying to bring a championship home to Montreal, she’s also preparing for an Olympic year. With the added pressure of a trip to Italy wearing the Maple Leaf, Poulin is sure to be in her finest form.
Kristyna Kaltounkova, Forward, New York Sirens
Kristyna Kaltounkova is the second of two consecutive first-overall picks for New York and will be another critical piece of the Sirens’ roster of rising young talent. The Sirens have yet to find what works in this league, but Kaltounkova offers lots of potential. With Alex Carpenter gone to Seattle, Kaltounkova will step up to a key position alongside Sarah Fillier, bringing along her speed and physical style of play. And as pre-season action and initial roster decisions have shown, both physicality and skating have been highly sought after so far. As the league grows in size, the best skaters and strongest players will rise to the top.
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Watch Victoire vs. Fleet on Sportsnet
The PWHL season returns to Sportsnet and Sportsnet+ on Sunday, Nov. 23 as the Montreal Victoire take on the Boston Fleet. Watch live beginning at 1 p.m. ET / 10 a.m. PT.
Aerin Frankel, Goalie, Boston Fleet
The Fleet need an anchor for the 2025-26 season, especially considering how much they lost as the off-season developed. Good thing they have the ever-dependable Aerin Frankel locking it down between the pipes. Frankel boasted 12 wins and a .921 save percentage last year, second only to Montreal’s Ann-Renee Desbiens in both categories. She was also a Goaltender of the Year finalist and will be the likely backstop for Team USA at the upcoming Olympics.
Emily Clark, Forward, Ottawa Charge
It’s time for Emily Clark to return the favour in Ottawa. This summer she was listed as one of three protected players in the expansion draft, and now with complications around the Charge’s future in Ottawa, she’ll be instrumental in helping prove the team’s worth on the ice.
Walk around the Ottawa concourse and it’s her jersey you’ll see displayed on the mannequin. When the players are called onto the ice, there’s no chance you miss her name. Clark is a beloved piece of what the Charge are building in Ottawa, and if she can improve on last year’s masterful season (nine goals, 10 assists, and the second-most points on the Charge), she’ll add another reason for the team to make a long-term future work there.
Lee Stecklein, Defender, Minnesota Frost
Lee Stecklein isn’t the flashiest name on the Frost roster, but just like her team, she knows how to make it count in big moments. The 31-year-old had an average regular season last year, with three goals and six assists over 30 games as the Frost snuck into the playoffs as the last seed. In the post-season, however, Stecklein rose to the occasion and produced four goals and four assists over eight games on her way to lifting the Walter Cup for the second time in as many years.
Sarah Nurse, Forward, Vancouver Goldeneyes
Nothing fuels Nurse like an impassioned fan base — Toronto knows that well. As one of the key players in the Sceptres’ past two seasons, Nurse has become well known for her ability to shift the outcome of the game, especially on a big stage. Now, she brings that power to Canada’s West Coast.
Go back to last year’s Battle on Bay Street. There, the slumping Sceptres needed a win, bad, and Scotiabank Area filled up to see if they could make it happen. Nurse, riding the energy of more than 19,000 fans, battled the fierce Abby Roque in the corners and was unrelenting with six shots before she netted the game-winner.
Even during an injury-riddled down season last year, Nurse continued to prove her impact in this league. Now imagine the disruption she’ll cause as she ignites a new fanbase alongside brand-new teammates all while skating across the Goldeneyes’ logo at centre ice.
Alex Carpenter, Forward, Seattle Torrent
The Seattle Torrent have constructed their team around veteran excellence, with Alex Carpenter as one of the best. Despite the limitations she faced while with the Sirens, Carpenter’s dominance in the PWHL is obvious, with 11 goals and nine assists over 26 games last season. Switching coasts might be exactly what this star needs to finally make a trip to the playoffs.
from Sportsnet.ca
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