2025 PWHL Finals predictions, storylines and picks
After a couple of exhilarating semifinal series, two teams remain in the 2025 PWHL Playoffs, as the reigning champion Minnesota Frost and Ottawa Charge get set to duke it out for the Walter Cup.
Our “experts” Hunter Crowther and Tyler Kuehl look at some of the biggest storylines heading into the best-of-five series, and give their thoughts on who will be taking home women’s hockey’s ultimate prize.
Who are you more surprised made it to the finals?
Tyler: This one’s easy, the Minnesota Frost. I know I said that they were the surprise team last year, and look how it worked out for them. Still, the way the team had been playing in the final couple of months of the regular season, how shaky the goaltending looked, and the team’s general inability to score, you had to have thought the Toronto Sceptres were going to get the job done. Yet, Kendall Coyne Schofield reminded everyone why she’s one of the best in the world, and the Frost are four wins away from winning the Walter Cup once again.
Hunter: To quote Lee Corso: “Not so fast, my friend!” While Minnesota went from “team that barely made the playoffs” to a second consecutive PWHL Final appearance, it’s the Ottawa Charge that shocked me the most. I had both the Sceptres and Montreal Victoire in the Final, but I thought the Victoire would make light work of the Charge, a team that needed an overtime win in the final game of the year to clinch a playoff spot. Boy, was I wrong. The Charge has earned the right to be here, but I won’t pretend that I saw it coming.
Which player has surprised you so far?
Hunter: There’s an urgency in Brianne Jenner’s game that I didn’t see for chunks of the regular season. The Ottawa captain scored in the team’s first two games against Montreal, and her tight checking and defensive coverage was relentless in the first round. It’s not necessarily a shock that a two-time Olympic gold medalist is playing well, but I’ve enjoyed seeing her find another gear in the playoffs.
Tyler: How about Lee Stecklein, eh? After returning to the international stage last month, the American has turned her game up in the postseason. Stecklein scored just nine points during the regular season but already has six so far in the playoffs, placing her tied for second among skaters with teammate Sophie Jaques. Stecklein’s two-goal game in Game 2 against the Sceptres kickstarted the Frost’s three-game win streak, with Stecklein leading the team with three goals in the series.
Who needs to step up in the finals?
Tyler: As much as I want to point at one person, it needs to be both Minnesota goaltenders. Since head coach Ken Klee likes to platoon Maddie Rooney and Nicole Hensley, they’ll both most likely see action in this series as they did last year. The difference is they aren’t the dominating tandem that won the Walter Cup. While both earned wins in the semifinals against Toronto, both Hensley and Rooney had stinkers that could’ve cost them the series. If they show the signs of weakness they had in the regular season, the Frost will not become back-to-back champions.
Hunter: After finishing the regular season tied for second in goals with 15 and eighth in points with 22, Tereza Vanisova has seen a tepid start to the playoffs. With only two assists against the Victoire, Vanisova struggled to create space for herself against a suffocating Montreal defensive system. You can appreciate how difficult it is to get past the likes of Marie-Philip Poulin and Erin Ambrose nearly every shift, but it won’t get any easier against a Frost group that’s three wins away from back-to-back titles. If Vanisova can find her offense, Ottawa has a great shot.
Which team has the advantage in goal?
Hunter: I never thought I’d say the team with a rookie goalie has the advantage in net, but here we are. Gwyneth Philips has been fantastic in the playoffs, going 3-1 with a .956 save percentage (SV%) and 1.14 goals against average (GAA), plus a shutout in Game 3 against the Victoire. The Frost gave Nicole Hensley and Maddie Rooney two starts each, alternating between games, and while it may be a fool’s choice to go against the defending champs in goal, it’s clear Philips is the better goalie (at this time).
Tyler: My answer earlier should’ve been a tell-tale sign of my answer to this question. Even though Philips catches with the wrong hand, Philips has been fantastic for the better part of a month. Dating back to winning gold in Czechia, the Northeastern star has managed to show that her inexperience at the pro level can be an advantage, especially since she outdueled all-world goaltender Ann-Renée Desbiens in the opening round.
Who wins the Walter Cup?
Hunter: Screw it, I’ll take the Charge in five. Minnesota may be the better team and their stars may be clicking right now, but today, we’re going off ✨ V I B E S ✨. But more than that, I can sum up Ottawa in one way: they’re a pain in the ass to play against. Every inch of ice is fought over, and they’re going to drive Minnesota nuts. Besides, it’s time for the Walter Cup to go north.
Tyler: This Ottawa team is something special. They went up against the likes of Desbiens, Marie-Philip Poulin and Erin Ambrose and didn’t blink. Now, against a team with so many future Hall of Famers, why would they lose that confidence in another best-of-five series? They have the edge in the goalie department and are playing in one of the loudest environments in the PWHL.
The Walter Cup is coming north of the border. Charge in five.
Who wins the Ilana Kloss Playoff MVP Award?
Hunter: If (and when) Ottawa takes the Walter Cup, it will be Philips who takes home the Ilana Kloss. During the Charge’s first-round series victory over the Victoire, Philips went 3-1 with a .956 SV% and 1.14 GAA, plus a shutout in Game 3. For a rookie goalie like Philips to come in after an all-world talent in Emerance Maschmeyer is forced out with an injury, and play like this? We’re watching something special.
Tyler: Dang it, stealing my thunder by picking the goaltender.
Well, in that case, I’m going to point at Emily Clark. The 29-year-old is on a top line with Gabbie Hughes and Mannon McMahon that caused havoc against the Victoire. Though they didn’t post astronomical numbers against a stingy Desbiens, they were able to generate a lot of offense. Going up against a less defensively sound Frost team could allow Clark, who posted three points against Montreal, the ability to shine on the biggest stage.