With the action in the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) being on pause, that means the 2024 Women’s World Championship is now underway. There are quite a few recognizable PWHL names having themselves a great tournament with it only just getting underway.
Related: Canada and US Victorious in Second Games of Women’s Worlds
For each team in the league, which player has stood out the most for their club? What implications might that have on the PWHL?
Toronto: Natalie Spooner
Toronto hasn’t necessarily had any big standouts from their games, but forward Natalie Spooner has contributed to Canada’s early dominance. With two assists in three contests for a plus-5 rating, her PWHL numbers are actually a little bit better at 20 points in 19 contests. At 33 years of age, she has shown no signs of slowing down.
Minnesota: Kendall Coyne Schofield
Despite being one of the older players in the tournament at 31, Kendall Coyne Schofield of Minnesota is still one of the best players that women’s hockey has to offer. Through three contests, she has three goals and three assists for a tournament-leading six points and a plus-6 rating to go along with that.
Schofield is still one of the most talented women’s hockey players with the puck on her stick, and she has shown that for her USA Hockey club. The captain for Minnesota, she is eighth in the league in points (14) in 19 contests.
Among forwards, she is in the 85th percentile in goals per game (G/G) with 0.32, the 84th percentile for assists per game (A/G) with 0.42, and the 90th percentile in points per game (P/G) with 0.74. The odds of her being an impact player for a little while longer are high.
Montreal: Ann-Renee Desbiens
For Canada, goaltender Ann-Renee Desbiens has continued her typically dominant ways. Through two starts, she has allowed just a single goal and has 45 saves on 46 shots. In the clutch, Desbiens is a different animal.
At this point, it’s a matter of when, not if, Montreal makes the PWHL playoffs. If Desbiens can play at this level for them, it’s going to be hard for them to lose. With a player like that at such an important position, Montreal might be a sneaky-good team who can make a run at a championship.
Ottawa: Emerance Maschmeyer & Sandra Abstreiter
With Ottawa likely being the last seed in the PWHL playoffs, goaltending could be the X-factor for them if they go on a run. Both starter Emerance Maschmeyer and backup Sandra Abstreiter are playing out of their minds with only two goals allowed in their combined three starts. With a shutout apiece for them, they have stepped up their game now that they are playing for their countries.
Goal scoring has tended to be low in the PWHL, so goaltending makes a huge difference. Ottawa will need their netminders to be at their absolute best to have a chance at a title, and it’s looking good for them so far.
Boston: Hilary Knight
Though Boston’s captain, Hilary Knight, has just seven points in her PWHL season, she has picked it up at the Women’s Worlds. She has two goals and three assists for five points and a plus-6 rating through three contests, tying her for second in points for the tournament.
At 34 years of age, Knight is used to the drama of these games. In her 14th season competing in this tournament, she knows what it takes to win. While Father Time might eventually come for everyone, her experience actually makes her one of the most dangerous players imaginable for her USA club.
New York: Alex Carpenter
Alex Carpenter, still in her prime at 29 years of age, has dominated this tournament and the PWHL alike. For USA, she has three goals and two assists for five points and a plus-7 rating. For New York, she has been equally dominant.
With 19 points in 19 contests in the PWHL, she holds sole possession of second place in scoring. In the 93rd percentile for G/G at 0.42, the 97th percentile for A/G at 0.58, and the 96th percentile for P/G at 1.00 among forwards, Carpenter is arguably the best player in women’s hockey at this very moment.
The tournament is set to end on April 13, while the PWHL season will resume on April 18. Only five contests remain for each club.