As the inaugural PWHL season comes to a close, there’s no real surprises when it comes to the 2024 Forward of the Year finalists.
Toronto’s Natalie Spooner, Montréal’s Marie-Philip Poulin and New York’s Alex Carpenter and are the three nominees for the award, the league announced Thursday.
The award is presented to the forward who “showcases the most outstanding ability at the position throughout the regular season,” according to the PWHL.
Spooner lead the league with 27 points (20G, 7A) in 24 games, averaging 1.13 points-per-game, the highest in the PWHL. She led the PWHL with seven powerplay goals (more than double any other player), and had the most shots on goal with 101.
Poulin ended the regular season tied for second in points with 23 (10G, 13A) in 21 games. The 33-year-old led the PWHL with four three-point games, and excelled in the faceoff circle with a winning percentage of 57.9 per cent.
Carpenter tied Poulin for second in the PWHL with 23 points (8G, 15A) in 24 games, and finished the season tied for first in assists with 15. She had a six-game point streak (5G, 3A), which tied for the longest streak in the PWHL this season.
An 18-member selection committee voted for the award during the break in play between the regular season’s end and the beginning of the playoffs. The three players who received the most voting points were named finalists. The winner will be announced in June.
