Desbiens, Frankel, Philips named finalists for 2026 PWHL Goaltender of the Year award
A trio of talented masked athletes is receiving praise for their incredible efforts this season.
On Thursday, the PWHL announced that Aerin Frankel of the Boston Fleet, Ann-Renée Desbiens of the Montreal Victoire, and the Ottawa Charge’s Gwyneth Philips have been named the finalists for the 2025-26 Goaltender of the Year award.
All three goaltenders had magnificent seasons, with each leading their team to the Walter Cup Playoffs. They were also the three finalists for the award last year as well.
For Frankel, it was another year where she was the backbone of the Fleet and was one of the main reasons for the team’s success. The Green Monsters’ play led Boston to one of the best seasons in league history. Not only were the fleet the first team to clinch a playoff spot this year, doing so in record time, but they also challenged for first place in the PWHL with the Montreal Victoire, despite finishing second place on the final day of the season.
Frankel set a new PWHL record with eight shutouts this past season. She finished tied with Desbiens for the most wins (19), ending the campaign with a 19-4-1-2 record. The former Northeastern Husky finished second in the PWHL with a 1.17 goals-against average and .953 save percentage.
Desbiens was a key cog on a dominant Montreal Victoire team that won the Walter Cup for the first time this season. She led the league in wins, goals against average (1.11) and save percentage (.955), sitting second behind Frankel in shutouts (7). The Quebec native is trying to be named Goaltender of the Year for the second year in a row, making her the first player in league history to earn the achievement in consecutive seasons.
Philips once again led a scrappy underdog charge team that probably would not have been in the situation they were in had it not been for the right-handed catching net minder. The second-year pro was the starter from the get-go, playing in all but two games during the regular season.
Philips was masterful in helping get the Charge to the playoffs for the second year in a row, securing fourth place. No goaltender faced more shots (844) or made more saves (786) than the Northeastern product, with Philips going 16-11-0-1 during the regular season, with a 2.12 GAA, a .931 SV% and three shutouts.
The Athens, Ohio native also ended up leading the Ottawa Charge to the Walter Cup Final for the second year in a row, falling out to Desbiens and the Victoire.