Top 10 women’s hockey players of 2025

It has been another great year of women’s hockey. Along with the continued success of the Professional Women’s Hockey League, we were treated to another thrilling edition of the IIHF Women’s World Championship, along with one of the best endings to the NCAA Women’s National Tournament of all time.

There were so many individuals who stood out over the past 12 months. From stars in college to the pro ranks, superstars, both young and old, wowed fans with their amazing display of talent and athleticism.

Here are my top 10 women’s hockey players for 2025.

1. Marie-Philip Poulin

Are you surprised?

The GOAT had an incredible season from start to finish. Poulin captained the Montreal Victoire to the best record in the PWHL, earning the Top Goal Scorer Award with a league-leading 19 tallies. She was also named the Forward of the Year and won the Billie Jean King MVP Award for the first time. At the Women’s Worlds, the 34-year-old was also dominant. She led the tournament with 12 points, earning MVP honors, and was later named the IIHF Female Player of the Year.

Even as she gets older, Poulin continues to show what makes her one of the best in the game today.

2. Caroline Harvey

A player that is far better than I think the average fan realizes, KK Harvey is going to be one of the most dominant players for years to come. The New Hampshire native was an important piece in helping the Wisconsin Badgers capture a record eighth national championship, and the second in her time with the program. She finished fifth in the country in scoring with 63 points, was named a First-Team All-American, WCHA Defender of the Year, and was named to the NCAA All-Tournament Team, as well as finishing as a finalist for the Patty Kazmaier Award.

In Czechia at the WWC, Harvey flexed her muscle against the best in the world, earning the tournament’s best defender award and helping the United States capture gold. The 23-year-old is off to a crazy start in Madison this season, currently leading the country with 41 points in just 20 games.

3. Sarah Fillier

If there was any concern that Fillier could dominate at the pro level, those doubts were put to bed this past year. After being taken by the New York Sirens first overall in the 2024 PWHL Draft, the Georgetown, Ont. native was one of the best scorers in the league. Despite playing on a lackluster roster, she finished tied with Hilary Knight for the most points in the league, with the two scoring 29 points apiece.

Fillier was named the PWHL’s rookie of the year and is expected to continue to carry the Sirens in her second season, as the team looks to finally qualify for the playoffs. The former Princeton star also scored four points at the Women’s Worlds in Canada’s silver-medal effort.

4. Kirsten Simms

I flipped a coin to determine the order of these two players. Even then, it’s hard to ignore how electrifying Simms has been over the past year. After an impressive sophomore campaign at Wisconsin, the Plymouth, Mich. native had another great season, finishing second in the country with 72 points for the Badgers. Her stardom continued to grow in the postseason, as she scored the tying and winning goals in the national championship game against Ohio State.

Even though she’s missed a couple of games this year, Simms has been an efficient scorer once again, sitting tied for second in the NCAA with teammate Lacey Eden with 34 points. As one of the top seniors in college hockey, Simms is expected to be high on every PWHL team’s draft board next summer.

Simms also won her first Women’s Worlds gold in April with the U.S.

5. Casey O’Brien

Leading the charge for the Badgers last year was O’Brien. As captain of the team, the offensive star from Massachusetts led the NCAA in assists (62) and points (88). Playing on a line with Simms gave O’Brien the ability to flourish in her final season at Wisconsin, leading to her not only winning a third NCAA Title, but also taking home the Patty Kazmaier Award, beating out teammates Harvey and Laila Edwards.

Somehow, O’Brien wasn’t named to the U.S. roster last spring, though I think that might change for the Olympics in February. That didn’t stop Sirens general manager Pascal Daoust from trading up to hold the third-overall pick in the 2025 PWHL Draft, taking O’Brien in the process. While she’s off to a slow start, she has the tools to be a star at the pro level.

6. Hilary Knight

After what was a down year on all fronts for the most decorated player in the history of the Women’s Worlds, Knight proved that she still had a lot of hockey left in her in 2025. The Idaho native scored 15 goals and 29 points with the Boston Fleet, a notable improvement over her efforts during the team’s inaugural season, when she scored just 11 points.

At the WWC, the veteran captain led the Americans with nine points in the tournament, good for third among all skaters. She also broke the tournament’s all-time assists record, surpassing Canadian legend Hayley Wickenheiser.

Knight continued to make headlines as the first player to sign with the expansion Seattle Torrent, and is expected to lead the team in its first year in the PWHL. Even at the age of 36, with her final Olympics in sight, she has shown that she can still be an impact player.

7. Laila Edwards

What makes Edwards such an impressive player is how versatile she is. For most of her career, she has been a dynamic scoring threat with great speed and a booming shot. The Cleveland Heights, Ohio, native led the NCAA in goals last season with 35, playing a key role in Wisconsin’s championship run. Edwards was also one of the three finalists for the Patty Kaz after ending up third in the nation with 71 points.

Then, when the Americans went to Czechia, Edwards was tossed back on defense. The move ended up paying off, as the team went on to win the gold medal. The transition to defense has carried over to this season for Wisconsin, as Edwards is second in defensive scoring behind Harvey, with 26 points in 15 games.

8. Aerin Frankel

The Green Monster has made her case to be considered the best goaltender in the world. While her numbers might not have been the best in the PWHL last season, her efforts almost single-handedly dragged the Fleet to the playoffs last year. Had she not been injured in the gold medal game at the world championship, that dream could’ve become reality. In 23 games, she posted a 12-8-3 record with a 2.28 goals-against average, a .921 save percentage and a shutout.

This season, Frankel’s great play has helped Boston to the hottest start in the league.

Speaking of the Women’s Worlds, Frankel was almost unbeatable. The New York native gave up just five goals in five games and was named the tournament’s top goaltender.

9. Gwyneth Philips

There’s no singular person who had a more whirlwind final few months of the 2025-26 season than the Ottawa Charge goaltender. After taking the starting reins from the injured Emerance Maschmeyer, Philips dragged the Charge to its first playoff appearance. She ended up outplaying Ann-Renee Desbiens, stunning the top-seeded Victoire in the semifinals to get Ottawa to the final. While the Charge fell short to the Minnesota Frost, Philips won the Ilana Kloss MVP Award, along with finishing as a finalist for Rookie and Goaltender of the Year.

On top of that, she made a significant impression at the Women’s Worlds. She won all three games she appeared in, posting an insane 0.49 GAA and .968 SV%. Philips came in for Frankel in the gold medal game against Canada, playing well enough to help the Americans win it all in overtime.

10. Renata Fast

Fast lived up to her namesake this season, being one of the quickest players in the game, and giving her an advantage against the rest of the PWHL. Even though her longtime d-partnership with Jocelyne Larocque was broken up, the Toronto Sceptres blueliner didn’t cease to amaze. With 22 points in 30 games, Fast finished tied for first among defenders in scoring last season and was awarded with Defender of the Year honors.

The Burlington, Ont. native was also crucial to Canada’s run to the silver at the WWC, finishing with eight assists, and was named to the Media All-Star Team.

Honorable Mention

Ann-Renee Desbiens (Montreal Victoire) – There was no goaltender who had better numbers in the PWHL last season than Desbiens. The Victoire netminder was another important part of the team that finished atop the league’s standings. She led the league in wins (15), goals-against average (1.86), and save percentage (.932) among qualified goaltenders, earning Goaltender of the Year honors.

Kristyna Kaltounkova (Colgate/New York Sirens) – Kaltounkova earned the right to be taken first overall by the Sirens in this year’s draft. She became the first Czech player to be a Top 10 finalist for the Patty Kaz after finishing tied for 12th in the NCAA with 48 points. Kaltounkova was also named to the WWC Media All-Star Team as she potted four goals and six points for the host nation.

Abbey Murphy (University of Minnesota) – Murphy finished her senior season with 33 goals, second behind Edwards. Yet, she returned for a fifth year, and is off to a great start with 34 points in 18 games. The Illinois native also scored six points for Team USA at the world championship.

Ronja Savolainen (Ottawa Charge) – Savolainen had an incredible spring. At the Women’s Worlds, she led all defenders in goals (3), helping Finland win its first bronze medal in three years. Then, she was a stalwart on the back end in the Charge’s run to the PWHL Final.

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