Latest news with #Fillier
Yahoo
11-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Ranking The Top 25 PWHL Players
The 2024-25 PWHL season is in the books. It was another year where the stars came out to play with the likes of Hilary Knight, Sarah Fillier, and Marie-Philip Poulin atop the league scoring leaders. Here's a look at the top 25 players from the PWHL this season: Poulin led the league in goals with 19, but her dominance spans well beyond her goal scoring total. In short, Poulin is the best player in the world. It seems like Fast never comes off the ice for Toronto. She can control the game at both ends. She's the best defender in pro women's hockey, and the only defender capable of challenging the top echelon of forwards for "best" in the world at any position. Her dominance this season was welcomed by the Boston Fleet and fans. Knight looked faster, her scoring returned, and the big, powerful forward we've known for a decade returned to full form, which was bad news for opponents. We knew she'd be good, but it might be a stretch to claim people expected Fillier would tie for the league lead in scoring as a rookie. She couldn't get New York to the playoffs, but she made them a much more dynamic team. She's the player that has changed so many conversations and misconceptions about the thought that all of the world's top players were already on national teams. Watts is dynamic, she thinks and executives high skill plays at a level few in the league can, and she's exciting to watch. She didn't lead Minnesota in scoring, but when you watch the deference teams pay to Heise, you know how good she is. She's got elite skills and remains one of only a handful of players capable of lifting fans from their seats night in and night out. Coyne Schofield's speed and competitiveness remain her calling cards. It's hard not to notice when she's on the ice, and her offensive production followed this season. If not for an early season hiccup, Carpenter and Fillier may have sat atop the league's scoring ladder together. She sees the game at a speed others can't, she's an elite playmaker, can score, and uses her speed to frustrate. Without Frankel, the Boston Fleet may have been the league's basement dweller. She remains in elite company among goaltenders and proves it night in and night out. Desbiens had a spectacular season making Montreal a tough team to beat even on the night's they weren't firing on all cylinders. She showed her international stardom can transfer to a full season campaign. Her consistent scoring across two seasons in the league, goal scoring prowess, and two-way game have earned Miller many accolades. It also earned her a spot on Team Canada until the IIHF deemed her ineligible. If not for her slow start, and a season ending injury at Worlds, Muller is likely a top five scorer in this league. She's the engine that drives Boston with her ability to read the ice, and hyper-competitiveness. Keller is carrying way too much load in Boston which at times is hurting her game. She's big, physical, can transport pucks, generate offense, and controls the game from the blueline. Boston has struggled to bring along a counterpart for her in order to truly let Keller flourish. While flash and points are what typically gets defenders noticed, with Stecklein it's consistency, smart plays, and the ability to shut down the best. She's big, she's mobile, and she's the quiet leader behind Minnesota's success. Perhaps the prototypical power forward in the PWHL, there's little stopping Stacey when she gets up to full speed, and heaven forbid you get in her way. She drives back defenders and makes room for her teammates, but can score with skill as well. There were several defenders who outscored Cayla Barnes this season, but few who had the same impact. She took an incredible load off the shoulders of Erin Ambrose which was a big part to Montreal's success. She played a key role at both ends of the ice, and will be a top blueliner in this league for the remainder of her career. What a season for Jaques. Is she still learning some of the finer points of the defensive position? Sure. But her impact on the ice is unquestionable. This season you could see her confidence rise, and when Jaques steps into the offensive attack, few are more dangerous. We only got a shortened sample size, but when she was in the lineup, Hannah Bilka was a difference maker. She's got great hands, can burn with her speed, and finds ways to get into scoring position. The Fleet were significantly better with Bilka around, and it will be exciting to see what a full season means to her output. Don't let Erin Ambrose's numbers fool you this season. She certainly didn't lose any of the effectiveness that made her the inaugural PWHL Defender of the Year. Ambrose remains one of the league's best blueliners, and was freed from the incredible expectations placed on her last year. Few are as consistent. The free skating, playmaking defender we all remembered didn't lose a step in her year away from the game. Instead Thompson stepped in and immediately asserted herself as one of the PWHL's top offensive blueliners. For how poorly the Sirens did this year, they certainly have a lot of top players. Shelton is a strong puck moving defender who played big minutes for New York. She is a consistent special teams threat and handles herself physically. When you look at the Ottawa Charge, night in and night out, Clark was their most consistent player. Her impact offensively is crucial, but it's her two way play, her smarts, leadership, and strong forecheck that keep Ottawa's motor running. Tapani doesn't get the credit she deserves. She seldom steps on the ice without generating chances, or making a key play in her own zone. Her veteran presence is felt and she remains one of the top European players in the league. Eldridge might be a beneficiary to a point of Fillier and Carpenter, but she's proven she can consistently carry her own offensively. Eldridge's 200-foot game is what keeps her off the national team, but in scoring position, few as as dangerous. She's gritty, in your face, can stick handle in tight spaces, and yes, she can score. Vanisova does it all despite playing far less than anyone on this list. Not only was she among league leaders in goals, she led the league in penalty minutes showing her unique combination of skill and pest.
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Where Do The New York Sirens Go From Here?
The New York Sirens celebrate a goal - Photo @ Ellen Bond Statistically speaking, the New York Sirens showed a marginal improvement from year one to year two, but it wasn't enough to get them out of the PWHL basement, nor into the playoffs. Where the Sirens improved was in their winning percentage. In year one they finished with a 0.361 winning percentage, which they improved to 0.411 in year two. They also improved on their goals for / goals against differential finishing year one -14 and year two at only -9. Special teams remained a strong point for the Sirens finishing second in the league in power play percentage, and sitting tops in the PWHL on the penalty kill. Individually, the chemistry between Sarah Fillier and Alex Carpenter was unmistakable, and it also resulted in a significant boost in output for Jessie Eldridge. While this connection serve the Sirens well moving into 2025-26, the offensive punch Fillier added was slightly mitigated by reductions in output from Carpenter and Ella Shelton, and the fact no other rookie made a noticeable offensive impact. The return of Micah Zandee-Hart to full form was a welcomed boost to New York's blueline, and Corinne Schroeder remained one of the league's best in net. That's the good news. Time For The Bad News The New York Sirens looked like they had a draft to remember. They loaded up on talent beginning with Fillier, picking Maja Nylen Persson, and Noora Tulus. Nylen Persson had a good season and will take another step next year. She ended her year on long term injured reserve missing the World Championships as well. Tulus was underutilized and was never able to fully adapt to North American ice in her first season outside Europe. She's a likely candidate for a break out season next year whether it's with New York, or an expansion team. New York signed most of their draft picks from last year to multi-year contracts, but not all. The team may choose to move on from Gabby Rosenthal who despite being picked high, going 19th overall to New York, only managed four points and was unable to elevate her role beyond a bottom six role. Elle Hartje played well for New York, but didn't score a goal. New York will have a chance to sprinkle in new talent, but they also have the most players under multi-year contract in the league with 14. It will minimize their ability to make a significant impact on their roster especially considering Fillier and defender Ally Simpson are among their unsigned players, who New York still has their rights. That means there are only five spots, four for skaters open on the Sirens' roster. New York should be able to get 2-3 forwards who can step into their roster in the opening rounds of the draft, and add another defender somewhere else. If there's one blessing to these roster spots being locked up, it's that New York will lose a group of them in the expansion draft, and they have fewer cornerstone players worth protecting. The biggest area of loss New York can expect is on their blueline where they look destined to lose a quality blueliner. Is there hope in New York? Despite the poor finish, New York was a tougher team to play this season. They showed moments of brilliance, and looked like they were on the verge of finding their way. In the end, their forward depth just couldn't keep up with the rest of the league. Greg Fargo now has a year under his belt with the Sirens, which should help, and it's likely New York will be able to add either Kristyna Kaltounkova or Casey O'Brien through the draft, which will make an immense difference up front. New York also showed positive signs
New York Times
26-04-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
New York Sirens eliminated from PWHL playoff contention: Gold Plan, offseason, what's next
The New York Sirens have officially failed to qualify for the PWHL playoffs for the second straight year. New York hasn't played since April 1 — before the league took its international break for the women's world championship in Czechia – but was on the brink of elimination with the league's first games back on Saturday afternoon. Regulation wins by Boston and Ottawa on Saturday afternoon officially eliminated New York from playoff contention. Advertisement It's another disappointing early end to a season that began with promise. The Sirens drafted star forward Sarah Fillier first overall in the 2024 PWHL Draft, a significant addition to a forward group that already included elite talent in forward Alex Carpenter, defender Ella Shelton and goalie Corinne Schroeder. A new coach in Greg Fargo brought experience and a fresh perspective to a team that struggled mightily during the PWHL's inaugural season under Howie Draper, who left the team after just one season. At first, New York looked poised to have a strong Year 2, winning three of its first four games with strong performances by Fillier, Carpenter and Jessie Eldridge on the top line. But, the Sirens quickly started to look like a one-line club with Carpenter and Fillier scoring one-third of the team's goals to this point in the season. With Eldridge, who has moved off the top line at times, the Sirens' top trio represented 47 percent of the team's offense. Heading into the 2024-25 season, the hope was that New York's depth players who might have underperformed in Year 1 would improve in Year 2. But, just like last year, several players failed to meet expectations. Élizabeth Giguère, a prolific NCAA player, has only scored two goals and four points. So has Chloé Aurard. Abby Roque, one of New York's top-three signings, only has six goals in 27 games. The Sirens' 2024 draft class — which was supposed to add to the team's depth of talent — has also struggled this season. New York's top five picks after selecting Fillier — Maja Nylén Persson, Noora Tulus, Allyson Simpson, Gabby Rosenthal and Elle Hartje — have only scored five goals and 21 points combined over 27 games. That's less than Fillier's own production (27 points) in her rookie season. More than anything, though, it was a nine-game losing streak from January to March that really sunk New York's season. During that stretch, Schroeder struggled, Carpenter got injured, and Filler only scored three goals. The Sirens were outscored 36-15 over the nine games. New York won four of six games in regulation after the losing streak to keep its season alive. But, ultimately, ran out of runway. Now that New York is mathematically eliminated from the playoffs, the Gold Plan — the PWHL's method of determining the draft order — will officially go into effect. According to the plan, once a team is eliminated from the playoffs, it begins earning 'draft order points' using the league's standard points system. The team with the most points at the end of the regular season will be awarded the first-overall pick in the draft. Advertisement New York has three games remaining — against Minnesota, Toronto and Montreal — which means it has three chances to collect as many points as possible to win the first-overall pick. New York will likely have a significant head start in accumulating points after elimination with fifth-place Minnesota only two points behind Boston for the fourth and final playoff spot. It remains unclear how PWHL Vancouver, the league's first expansion franchise, will be integrated, and potentially impact the draft order. U.S. forward Abbey Murphy could be the consensus No. 1 pick should she declare for this year's draft. But she still has the option to return to the University of Minnesota for one final season. If Murphy returns to the NCAA, Casey O'Brien could be the top prospect available for New York to select. She's an all-situations center with vision and a solid shot, and was among the best players in the faceoff dot last season. She finished her college career as the all-time points leader in Wisconsin hockey history, with 274 points in 183 career games. There's also a case to be made for Haley Winn in the No. 1 spot. She is an offensively gifted right-shot defender who could upgrade any team's blue line and top power play. She's also played against top competition for years as a member of Team USA, and just won a gold medal at women's worlds in Czechia. It's shaping up to be a busy offseason for general manager Pascal Daoust. With PWHL Vancouver entering the league in 2025-26, New York could lose a regular player (or two if the PWHL adds an eighth franchise) to an expansion draft. Then, there's the entry draft on June 24 in Ottawa. Nothing will be bigger than free agency, though, with Fillier on an expiring contract. After a months-long negotiation between Fillier's camp and the organization, she signed a one-year deal back in November. The Sirens still own Fillier's rights for one more year, per the league's rookie rules, but this next set of negotiations will be critical for New York's future. Fillier could sign another one-year contract and walk in free agency after next season, or sign long-term in New York. Either option, but especially the former, would change the course of the franchise. Advertisement There are other free agents to consider, too. Forwards Jade Downie-Landry, Giguère and Aurard are all in the final year of their two-year contracts, as is defender Brooke Hobson. Daoust will need to decide if he wants to bring any of his free agents back before they hit the open market. Or if he's going to look to upgrade his depth via free agency (or the draft) after another disappointing season.
Fox Sports
19-04-2025
- Sport
- Fox Sports
US to play Czechs at women's ice hockey worlds. Canada vs. Finland in other semifinal game
Associated Press CESKE BUDEJOVICE, Czech Republic (AP) — Jennifer Gardiner and Sarah Fillier both struck twice and Canada grabbed a spot in the semifinals at the women's ice hockey world championship by routing Japan 9-1 on Thursday. Canada will play Finland for a spot in the final, and the United States will meet host Czech Republic in Saturday's other last-four matchup. Captain Marie-Philip Poulin assisted on Julia Gosling's power-play goal as she became the fourth player to reach 200 appearances for Canada. Claire Thompson had a goal and two assists, and Ella Shelton, Emily Clark and Sophie Jaques also scored for Canada. Renata Fast had three assists. Thompson opened the scoring and Gardiner doubled the lead late in the first period before Mei Miura scored for Japan to make it 2-1 in the second on a breakaway. Canada, the defending champion, answered with goals from Shelton, Fillier and Gosling in a span of 3:14 later in the period to jump to a 5-1 lead. Gardiner added her second early in the final period for her fifth overall at the tournament and a lead of the goal scoring table. Fillier and Clark made it 8-1 with goals scored 48 seconds apart before Jaques finished the demolition with 59 seconds to go. Earlier, the United States blanked Germany 3-0 to reach the semifinals. Kelly Pannek, Lacey Eden and Alex Carpenter each scored and captain Hilary Knight registered an assist to extend her record at the worlds to 51. Aerin Frankel made 12 saves in the shutout. Germany last scored against the U.S. at the worlds in 2008. 'Today was an important game, we battled and continued to fight,' U.S. coach John Wroblewski said. 'Germany is a tough, physical team and we stuck to our game and got the win.' Pannek one-timed a shot from the left circle for her third goal at the tournament 5:36 into the quarterfinal. Eden added the second midway through the opening period from the slot. Carpenter scored from close range with 1:07 remaining in the second period. The U.S. has reached the final in all 23 previous worlds and won 10 titles. In the following game, Natálie Mlýnková scored a hat trick as the Czech Republic produced a five-goal opening period en route to a 7-0 rout of Switzerland and a fourth straight semifinal appearance. Mlýnková scored two power-play goals and added another short-handed. Tereza Vanišová and Kristýna Kaltounková each had a goal and two assists, and Daniela Pejšov, and Denisa Křížová also scored for the Czechs, who claimed bronze in two of the previous three years of the championship. Klára Peslarová stopped 14 shots for her shutout. Earlier, Finland beat Sweden 3-2. Jenniina Nylund and Ronja Savolainen put Finland, last year's bronze medalist, 2-0 ahead in the opening period. Sweden answered through goals from Ebba Hedqvist and Josefin Bouveng in the second. Susanna Tapani gave the Finns the lead for good with 8:14 remaining in the frame. ___ AP women's hockey: in this topic
