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CBC
4 days ago
- Sport
- CBC
With a lucrative multi-year contract in hand, PWHL star Sarah Fillier is chasing greatness
Social Sharing Four years ago, headlines called her "the next one" and "a rising superstar" in women's hockey. At her first world championship inside a bubble in Calgary in 2021, then-21-year-old Sarah Fillier put up nearly a point per game as the Canadians won gold. They were heavy expectations to place on a player who was still in college. But four years later, no one can argue that Fillier hasn't lived up to the hype. No longer a rookie, Fillier is a bona fide star whose instincts, skill and hunger to get better put her in the sport's top echelon. In her first season in the PWHL, Fillier tied American superstar, Hilary Knight, for the league scoring lead, putting up 29 points in 30 games for the New York Sirens. She was named the league's Rookie of the Year. "Any time she's on the ice, magic will happen and magic could happen," the Sirens' GM, Pascal Daoust, said in an interview. "A game is never over when you have players like herself with a single shot that can change the whole rhythm in a game. It's a game changer." This year could be Fillier's biggest yet. This summer, the Sirens signed Fillier to a two-year deal — the most lucrative one the league has seen yet, though the league doesn't release specific dollar figures. With several players from last year's team gone via trade or expansion, the Sirens are now clearly built around Fillier, who will be bolstered by top draft picks such as Kristýna Kaltounková, Casey O'Brien and Anne Cherkowski. The rebuilt Sirens are aiming for the team's first playoff berth, a mark the team missed despite a stellar campaign from Fillier. The forward will also have a chance to earn her second Olympic gold medal on a Canadian national team where she's now a veteran. And there's still room to grow. "With Sarah, we're so impressed with obviously the speed she plays the game, the passion, the energy, all those things," said Troy Ryan, Team Canada's head coach. "I still don't believe she's fully come close to what her potential could be. I don't mean that negatively — it's exciting that she's as good as she is. As much as she's been around our program, I think this year should be or could be, and we hope to be, probably the best year of her career." Her short-term goals are obvious: Fillier wants to win the Walter Cup and defend the Canadians' Olympic title. Her long-term goal is even bigger. Fillier wants to be one of the best of all time, and to have her name mentioned in the same conversation as a player she's always idolized. Sarah Fillier wants to one day reach the level of Marie-Philip Poulin 9 minutes ago CBC Sports spoke with the 25-year-old PWHL star, who is entering her second season with the New York Sirens. That's why she always tries to soak up as much as she can from that player every time they share a locker room. "To be honest, I would love to be able to see my game come close to what Marie-Philip Poulin has done in her career," Fillier said in an interview with CBC Sports. "She's the definition of greatness in our game in her clutchness and humility and everything. I think she's the benchmark for what you have to be to be great, and to be remembered as a cornerstone of the national team and of women's hockey." Fillier leads rebuilt Sirens While Fillier's first season was an individual success, the Sirens fell short of the comeback season many predicted after Fillier was picked first overall in the 2024 draft. A mid-season losing streak and injuries were two of the factors that ultimately sunk the Sirens' season. With the expansion draft forcing every team to expose good players, Daoust described it as "an opportunity to look at ourselves in the mirror and try to be honest." "Honesty comes sometimes with tough decisions — tough decisions that sometimes we were not even in control to make," Daoust said. "But some other tough decisions that we felt were for the good of the organization after chatting with players, staff during the exit meetings. So to me, it was a great opportunity to change the angle that we were aiming at." After a summer of change across the PWHL, perhaps no team has changed more than the Sirens. Out of the top six forwards who lined up for the team's first game of the season last December, only Fillier remains. Starting goaltender, Corinne Schroeder, was lost to expansion Seattle, while top defender, Ella Shelton, was traded to Toronto for the pick used to draft O'Brien. While Fillier acknowledges that a big part of the team's core was lost to expansion, including her former linemate, Alex Carpenter, she also feels excited by the players who were drafted in June. On the entry draft's floor in Ottawa, she found herself envisioning her team's future lineup. O'Brien is coming off one of the most prolific college careers of all time, having just won the Patty Kazmaier Award as the top player in women's college history with Wisconsin. She could slide into the slot vacated by Carpenter as the team's top centre, should the coaching staff opt to play Fillier on the wing. Then, there's Kaltounková, a power forward who has a great shot. The first European player to go first overall in the draft will get to lineup alongside Fillier, after battling against each other in the Eastern College Athletic Conference when Fillier was in college. Fillier also pointed to second-round pick Cherkowski, a forward from Clarkson University who can play up and down a lineup, as a sleeper pick. With Fillier on board for the next two seasons, she can build alongside the Sirens' new core. It's a departure from last summer, when Fillier signed a one-year contract a couple weeks before training camp, not knowing what the next season might bring. Now, she has "a great sense of security." "I think it just lets you develop more relationships and really help steer the ship collectively as a group," Fillier said. "I want to be part of building something great, which I feel like New York has a really good foundation to do that." Embracing pressure With the contract out of the way, Fillier has been focusing on her explosiveness in her off-season training. Quickness is a big part of her game, so maintaining her foot speed will always be a priority. She'll head to a Hockey Canada training camp at the end of this month. With three national team training camps and four Rivalry Series games scheduled before the Olympics begin in Italy in February, one challenge for the Canadian staff will be figuring out who fits best alongside Fillier. WATCH | Explaining the Canadian women's hockey team's road to the Olympics in Milano: Explaining the 'Road to Milano-Cortina' for women's hockey players 9 days ago The coaching staff has even experimented with Fillier and Poulin together, as they've looked for the right fit for Poulin, too. But that seemed to weaken the team's depth. The training blocks could be a key part of unlocking even more from Fillier, Ryan said. "I think some players that are really, really good at a young age, they know they're good, they're confident," he said. "But I don't believe they fully understand how good they could be. I think Sarah is just going to start to figure that out." A new contract, on top of an Olympic spotlight, can come with added pressure. Both Ryan and Daoust see Fillier as being ready to embrace it. "Some people will probably hold their stick too tight when there's pressure," Daoust said. "I will say that she is the type of player who will smile on the ice when the pressure is coming." She knows she'll be expected to perform at a high level. But it's nothing new for a player who's been in the spotlight since making the national team at 18. "I feel like it wouldn't be exciting if there wasn't pressure to perform," she said. "In my head, I'm just excited to know that everything I do this year is going to lead right into next. It's almost more motivating at a point for me to know that I'm here for two years. I want to make it great."
Yahoo
02-08-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Offseason Report Card: Fleet Forecasting Stormy Waters
Multiple things can be true about the 2025-26 Boston Fleet roster. First, they have decidedly less star power, having lost Hilary Knight and Hannah Bilka up front, along with Emily Brown, Jessica DiGirolamo, Sydney Bard, and Emma Greco on the blueline. They also saw forward Lexie Adzija walk. The second truth for the Boston Fleet is that they could be a more difficult team to play night in and night out with the additions the team made – adding players like Laura Kluge, Liz Schepers, Zoe Boyd, and Chloe Aurard. The team also added impact in the draft, picking two-way players who compete hard. General manager Danielle Marmer made the best of a bad situation this offseason. It's highly unlikely the Boston Fleet find their way into contention, but they will not be a pushover team either. Offseason report cards are based not only on how each position and item is predicted to perform next season, but also on the offseason changes to the role. Here's a look. Offense: C Outside of Alina Muller and Susanna Tapani, Boston lacks top end offense. They'll need several items to click to see this grade improve. First, Boston will need veterans Jamie Lee Rattray and Hannah Brandt to take steps forward. They also need some of their now third-year pros like Theresa Schafzahl and Sophie Shirley to find ways to contribute offensively. The final element is the impact of newcomers. Chloe Aurard's upside is promising, as she returns to play with Northeastern linemate Alina Müller. And Boston needs Ella Huber, Olivia Mobley, and Abby Newhook to find ways to hit the scoresheet. Boston found success last year mining Shay Maloney out of the SDHL, and they're following that path with other invites who have upside. Two of Boston's most legitimate offensive threats are actually defenders Haley Winn and Megan Keller. Finding ways to allow them to open up and join the rush will be crucial. Defense: B- When you lose four of your top six, it's not an easy fix. The Fleet added impact defender Haley Winn who will immediately be one of the league's best two-way defenders alongside Megan Keller, giving Boston two elite defenders. Beyond the duo, new Boston head coach Kris Sparre cannot afford to repeat the detrimental deployment of Daniela Pejsova. The young defender has elite upside and could be Boston's answer on the back end, but her development was stifled markedly last year by being buried in a 6-7 role, and then used sparingly as a winger. Boston added physicality on their back end in Zoe Boyd and Rylind MacKinnon. MacKinnon is a player to watch who could blossom. Boston will need one or more of their free agent invites to earn a role, or hope that Hadley Hartmetz is healthy and capable. This blueline could surpass this grade, or could prove incapable of the job. The Fleet's team defense and structure will factor in to this result. Goaltending: A- Aerin Frankel is unquestionably one of the best goaltenders in the league, and on the planet. There's no question she's an elite starter. Frankel was the backbone of the Fleet and was directly responsible for much of their success in the opening two seasons of the league's existence. Frankel will be called on to take the vast majority of starts this season. If she falters or suffers an injury, this team is in trouble. Amanda Thiele is the likely backup for the Fleet but is completely unproven at this level or facing this calibre of shooter night in and night out. Abbey Levy, Boston's other signing has potential, but just couldn't show it in New York. Could a new location give her new life? Frankel is a sure thing. Everything else in Boston's crease is a question mark. Coaching: C Kris Sparre brings experience from a variety of leagues and levels both as a player and coach. What Sparre doesn't bring is knowledge of the player pool, league's rules or style, women's hockey experience, or head coaching experience. It's a lot to ask of a first-year head coach at any level to navigate a new league with new rules, new requirements, and managing to match up against hundreds of players they've never seen play. The odds are stacked against Sparre, but that doesn't mean he's incapable of doing all of the above and managing to guide this team in the right direction. It simply means he has a lot to learn in a very short period of time, and a roster that lacks the talent of many in this league to manage. Sparre has a unique opportunity to do something special in Boston, particularly with expectations for his roster remaining low. Intangibles: B The most noticeable gap is the loss of captain Hilary Knight. It's a significant subtraction to this roster, but it's not like the Fleet are lacking natural leaders. Without a reliance on Knight, this team is in a position to watch new leaders emerge. Megan Keller, Susanna Tapani, and Jamie Lee Rattray lead the candidates to take over as team captain, while returnees Alina Müller, Shay Maloney, and Hannah Brandt can lead as well. What Boston managed to add in the offseason was a lot of respected character players like Kluge, Schepers, Boyd, and Aurard. This team will operate as a group without reliance on any individual.
Yahoo
25-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Montreal Victoire captain Marie-Philip Poulin wins PWHL MVP, Forward of the Year
OTTAWA — Montreal Victoire forward Marie-Philip Poulin was named MVP of the 2024-25 PWHL season Wednesday afternoon, finishing ahead of former Boston captain Hilary Knight and Toronto's No. 1 defender Renata Fast. The Victoire captain was the favorite to win the award — named the Billie Jean King MVP — after she led the league in goals (19) and finished fourth in points (26), just three off the lead. Poulin was critical to Montreal's success in the regular season, when she scored 26 percent of the team's goals and factored into 34 percent. She never went more than two games without a point this season, and no player scored more game-winning goals (six), first goals (five) or insurance goals (three) to put a game out of reach than Poulin. Advertisement Poulin said it was an honor and a privilege to win MVP and to have the award announced by Billie Jean King. But, she's also never been one for individual milestones. 'This just makes me want to go back to work,' she said. 'I want to get better. I want to keep improving because I know it's a big year this year.' She also won Forward of the Year, beating out Knight and New York rookie Sarah Fillier, who finished tied with the most points in the league's regular season (29). Montreal coach Kori Cheverie said 2024-25 was one of the best seasons she's seen from Poulin. 'She's been the leader of our team, the heartbeat of our team, the workhorse. Everything you could want in a captain, she embodies it,' Cheverie said. 'I'm just so happy for her. I know she's a competitor, and I know that there's a couple of team championships that she would have liked to have this year. But the individual accolades are certainly remarkable.' Advertisement Poulin was a runner-up for last year's MVP, which went to Toronto forward Natalie Spooner after a dominant inaugural season. She's the only two-time finalist for the award in the PWHL's two-year history. Now, Poulin adds an MVP award to a trophy case that already includes three Olympic gold medals, four world championships, multiple MVP and scoring awards during her time in the now-defunct Canadian Women's Hockey League and a Canadian Athlete of the Year award, among many other accolades over a career destined for Hockey Hall of Fame enshrinement. Poulin already won the league's goal title after the regular season. And Ottawa goalie Gwyneth Philips won the Ilana Kloss Playoff MVP after she led the Charge to the Finals and had an unbelievable .952 save percentage over the postseason. The PWHL announced the winners of four other major awards at a ceremony Wednesday afternoon. Here are the results and the finalists. Advertisement Rookie of the Year: Sarah Fillier (New York) Fillier, 25, was one of the best forwards in the league this season after being selected first in the 2024 PWHL Draft. She finished her rookie season tied for the league lead in scoring. Her 16 assists were the most by a forward, and her 13 goals ranked fourth. Fillier led rookies in all three categories. Coach of the Year: Kori Cheverie (Montreal) Cheverie was a finalist for the award last season and beat out Toronto's coach, Troy Ryan (the inaugural winner), this year after leading Montreal to a first-place finish in the regular season. Goaltender of the Year: Ann-Renée Desbiens (Montreal) Desbiens was the very best goalie in the PWHL this season. Her 15 wins, 1.86 goals against average and .932 save percentage led all starters and were critically important to Montreal's success in the regular season. The Victoire lost in the first round of the playoffs, but Desbiens was also excellent there with a 1.55 goals against average and a .943 save percentage that was only bested by playoff MVP Gwyneth Philips. Advertisement Defender of the Year: Renata Fast (Toronto) Fast became the first defender to be voted a finalist for MVP, a credit to her impact at both ends of the ice for the Toronto Sceptres. No defender had more points (22) or hits (63) this season than Fast. With almost 740 minutes of play, Fast was on the ice more than any player in the league, averaging 24:39 per game. PWHL All-Rookie Team Forwards: Sarah Fillier (New York), Jennifer Gardiner (Montreal), Britta Curl-Salemme (Minnesota) Defense: Cayla Barnes (Montreal), Anna Wilgren (Montreal) Goalie: Gwyneth Philips (Ottawa) PWHL Second Team All-Stars Forwards: Daryl Watts (Toronto), Tereza Vanišová (Ottawa), Kendall Coyne Schofield (Minnesota) Defense: Claire Thompson (Minnesota), Ella Shelton (New York) Goalie: Aerin Frankel (Boston) Advertisement PWHL First Team All-Stars Forwards: Marie-Philip Poulin (Montreal), Hilary Knight (Boston), Sarah Fillier (New York) Defense: Renata Fast (Toronto), Sophie Jaques (Minnesota) Goalie: Ann-Renée Desbiens (Montreal) The PWHL provides performance bonuses as laid out in the collective bargaining agreement: Billie Jean King MVP: $5,000 Forward of the Year: $4,000 Defender of the Year: $4,000 Goalie of the Year: $4,000 Rookie of the Year: $4,000 'Hockey for All' award: $4,000 This article originally appeared in The Athletic. NHL, Women's Hockey 2025 The Athletic Media Company
Associated Press
25-06-2025
- Sport
- Associated Press
Montreal captain Marie-Philip Poulin wins PWHL's Billie Jean King MVP award
OTTAWA, Ontario (AP) — Montreal Victoire captain Marie-Philip Poulin has won the Professional Women's Hockey League's Billie Jean King MVP Award for the 2024-25 season. Poulin, who was also named forward of the year, was presented the awards at a ceremony Wednesday in Ottawa. The 34-year-old Poulin led the league with 19 goals and finished fourth with 26 points in 30 games. Poulin was also a finalist for the MVP and top forward awards in the inaugural 2024 PWHL season. Both awards were won by Toronto's Natalie Spooner. The awards capped another year of major achievements for Poulin, who was named the IIHF's Female Player of the Year earlier this month after taking MVP honors at the women's world championship in April with a tournament-leading 12 points (four goals, eight assists). Toronto Sceptres defender Renata Fast and Boston Fleet captain Hilary Knight (now with Seattle) were the other MVP finalists, while Knight and New York Sirens forward Sarah Fillier were up for forward of the year. Fast and Fillier did not leave empty-handed. Fast took home defender of the year honors while Fillier was named the league's top rookie. The 30-year-old Fast tied for first in scoring among defenders with 22 points in 30 games, led the league with 63 hits and led all skaters with an average of 24 minutes, 39 seconds of ice time per game. Sophie Jaques and Claire Thompson of the PWHL champion Minnesota Frost (both now with Vancouver) were the other finalists. Fillier, 25, tied for the league lead with 29 points in 30 games and led the league with five power-play goals. Montreal forward Jenn Gardiner (now with Vancouver) and Ottawa goaltender Gwyneth Philips also were finalists. Montreal's Ann-Renée Desbiens took goaltender of the year honors. The 31-year-old led all goalies with 15 wins and her 1.86 goals-against average and .932 save percentage were top marks among all starters. Philips and Boston's Aerin Frankel also were finalists. Montreal's Kori Cheverie won coach of the year after leading the Victoire to first place in the PWHL standings with a 12-7-3-8 record. Ottawa's Carla MacLeod and Toronto's Troy Ryan, who won the award last year, were also in the running. Victoire forward Laura Stacey won the Hockey For All Award given to the player 'who made the greatest impact in their community.' Poulin, Fillier, Knight, Fast, Jaques and Desbiens were named to the league's first all-star team. Minnesota's Kendall Coyne Schofield, Ottawa's Tereza Vanisova (now Vancouver), Toronto's Daryl Watts, New York's Ella Shelton (now Toronto), Thompson and Frankel were named to the second all-star team. Fillier, Gardiner, Minnesota's Britta Curl-Salemme, Montreal's Cayla Barnes and Anna Wilgren (both now with Seattle) and Philips made up the all-rookie squad. ___ AP women's hockey:
Al Arabiya
24-06-2025
- Sport
- Al Arabiya
New York Sirens set to restock expansion-depleted roster with No. 1 pick in PWHL draft
Sirens general manager Pascal Daoust opens the PWHL draft on Tuesday night holding the No. 1 pick with an opportunity to begin restocking a roster that lost plenty of top talent in the league's recent expansion draft and signing period. The Sirens have offensive holes to fill at forward after losing two of their three leading scorers–Alex Carpenter and Jessie Eldridge–as well as starting goalie Corinne Schroeder to Seattle. Daoust, however, hasn't ruled out selecting a defenseman at No. 1 in adding to his already deep blue-line core. Wisconsin's Casey O'Brien, women's college hockey's MVP last season, and Colgate's Kristyna Kaltounkova are considered the top-ranked forward prospects available. Kaltounkova is from the Czech Republic and has the opportunity to be the first European-born player to go first in the PWHL draft. Rounding out the top-three prospects is Clarkson defenseman Haley Winn entering the eight-team, six-round draft, the league's third since being established. The Sirens are selecting first for the second straight year after once again finishing last in the standings. Their first pick last year was Sarah Fillier, who finished tied for the PWHL lead with 29 points. The Boston Fleet, who lost star player Hilary Knight to Seattle, have the second pick followed by the Toronto Sceptres and Montreal Victoire. The Ottawa Charge are scheduled to pick fifth followed by the two-time defending champion Minnesota Frost. Vancouver won a random draw to have the seventh pick with Seattle going eighth. The two expansion teams will then alternate the order in each successive round.
