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PWHL 2025-26 Season: Boston Fleet Tops Initial Power Rankings
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- PWHL 2025-26 Season: Boston Fleet Tops Initial Power Rankings
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The 2025-26 PWHL season reached its first benchmark, taking an international break from Dec. 8-15 to accommodate National Team training and competition. So what better time for our inaugural power rankings of the new season?
As anticipated, the League's first foray into expansion — growing to eight teams with the addition of the Vancouver Goldeneyes and Seattle Torrent — yielded more parity in the PWHL. Outside of the first-place Boston Fleet, who hold a six-point lead over the next closest squad, only three points separate second-place from the cellar of the PWHL.
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Seattle and Vancouver produced promising early returns, highlighted by lofty attendance numbers in their home openers. And even with two new teams, the quality of goaltending across the League remains high. In 15 of 16 games to open the season, the losing team was held to one goal or less.
Without further ado, let's dive into the first PWHL power rankings of 2025-26.
1. Boston Fleet (12 points, 4-0-0-0)
Aerin Frankel — courtesy of PWHL
11 GF, 2 GA, +9 DIFF
There's no debating our top spot. The Fleet have far and away been the best team in the PWHL — to levels that are frankly unsustainable.
Boston improved to a perfect 4-0-0-0 on Sunday after a decisive 4-0 victory over the reigning champion Minnesota Frost — an encouraging start for a Fleet squad that fell short of the playoffs last season.
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They're scoring at a League-best 10.4 percent clip, and lead the PWHL with11 goals. On the other side of the puck, Boston's allowed two goals in 240 minutes of play, with opponents shooting just a tick over two percent through four games.
They can thank star goalie Aerin Frankel for much of their early success. Frankel leads the League with a 0.50 goals against average (GAA) and boasts a ridiculous .980 save percentage. She's started all four games for Boston, recording shutouts against the Montreal Victoire and Vancouver.
Still, let's not overlook what the Fleet are doing offensively. Boston parted ways with Hillary Knight in the offseason, leaving the 36-year-old forward unprotected after a stellar 2024-25 campaign, when she tied for the League lead with 29 points. But what the Fleet have lost in star power, they're making up for with a balanced four-line approach.
It also doesn't hurt to get strong performances out of their 2025 draft class. Fifth-round pick Abby Newhook (No. 34 overall) scored a goal in three straight games and plays in the top six. Meanwhile, No. 2 overall pick Haley Winn leads all PWHL skaters in average time-on-ice with 26:32, partnering with Boston's leading scorer Megan Keller (four points) on the top defensive pair.
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The Fleet are due for some regression on both sides of the ice, but the combination of Frankel and an improved defensive structure should inspire plenty of confidence moving forward.
2. Montréal Victoire (6 points, 2-0-0-1)
Abby Roque and Ann-Renée Desbiens — courtesy of PWHL
7 GF, 3 GA, +4 DIFF
The Victoire fell 2-0 in Boston to open the season, unable to squeeze anything by Frankel. They've since responded with back-to-back wins on home ice, blanking the New York Sirens 4-0 on Nov. 25 and defeating the Toronto Sceptres 3-1 on Sunday.
It pays to have the reigning Goaltender of the Year.
Ann-Renée Desbiens picked up right where she left off, sporting a 1.02 GAA and .964 save percentage after leading the PWHL in both categories last season. Even in a League where virtually every team boasts a quality netminder, there's a distinct advantage to having a goalie in the upper echelon — and Desbiens is firmly in that class.
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Montreal is shaping up to have one of the best forward lines in the PWHL, with last season's Billie Jean King MVP Marie-Philip Poulin centering Laura Stacey and offseason trade acquisition Abby Roque. After the Victoire were held scoreless against Boston, the trio of Poulin, Stacey, and Roque combined for nine points in the next two games, each player tallying one goal and two assists.
Other teams may be deeper, but the Victoire have top-tier talent in the areas that matter most.
3. Minnesota Frost (6 points, 2-0-0-2)
Kendall Coyne Schofield — courtesy of PWHL
10 GF, 7 GA, +3 DIFF
Even after a 4-1 defeat on Sunday, the Frost are one of just three teams entering the international break with a positive goal differential (plus-three).
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Losses to Toronto and Boston sandwiched a 3-0 win over Seattle and a 5-1 win over the Ottawa Charge. Minnesota led the PWHL in goals last season, and they're still more than capable of finding the back of the net.
The Frost's top forward line of Kendall Coyne Schofield, Kelly Pannek, and Britta Curl-Salemme — each of whom is tied for the League lead with five points apiece — rivals the Victoire for the most dangerous trio in the PWHL. Coyne Schofield paces all skaters with four goals, fueled by her first PWHL hat trick against Ottawa.
Star forward Taylor Heise is off to a less impressive start, held without a point through four games. The Frost have enough scoring talent to get by for the time being, but it places considerable pressure on a top line that's accounted for 15 of Minnesota's 25 points.
The blue line is notably weaker after losing Claire Thompson, Sophie Jaques, and Mellissa Channell-Watkins in the offseason, so it's fair to expect some inconsistency on the defensive end — as illustrated by a four-goal, 35-shot effort by the Fleet against them on Sunday.
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As for the goaltending, it's looking like a third consecutive season of Nicole Henley and Maddie Rooney splitting a fairly even workload. Henley's been the better of the two, allowing one goal with a .985 save percentage in two games, so she may get the early edge over a struggling Rooney (3.03 GAA, .889 save percentage).
4. Toronto Sceptres (6 points, 2-0-0-2)
Daryl Watts and Allie Munroe — courtesy of PWHL
7 GF, 8 GA, -1 DIFF
Toronto slots in just behind Minnesota, despite sporting an identical 2-0-0-2 record.
The Sceptres scontinue to be solid defensively, holding opponents to 22.3 shots against through four games — the lowest mark in the League. Injecting Ella Shelton into an already talented blue line certainly helps the cause.
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Still, there are some valid questions to be raised about the offense and goaltending.
2024 seventh-round pick Raygan Kirk is the No. 1 goalie after a promising rookie season, when she backed up Kristen Campbell. Kirk was brilliant in a 2-1 win over Minnesota in the season opener, stopping 30 of 31 shots. She's come back down to earth in her subsequent two games, allowing five goals on 41 shots for an .878 save percentage. There's no reason to panic, but it's hard to pinpoint what the Sceptres will get out of their 24-year-old goalie this season.
Toronto can likely chalk up its 1.75 goals per game clip and 6.8 shooting percentage to some difficult matchups — although losing Daryl Watts for its November tilt against Boston didn't help matters. The Sceptres faced star goalies Frankel, Gwyneth Philips, and Desbiens in succession — but that's the PWHL for you. It doesn't get much easier as Toronto is set to face Philips and Desbiens three more times in their next four games.
Even with the departures of Sarah Nurse and Hannah Miller, the Sceptres have elite scoring talent, headlined by Watts and Natalie Spooner, not to mention a pair of offensive-minded defenders in Shelton and Renata Fast. The scoring should even out for them eventually, although it'll cost them a spot or two in our inaugural power rankings.
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5. New York Sirens (6 points, 2-0-0-3)
Sarah Fillier and Casey O'Brien — courtesy of PWHL
10 GF, 11 GA, -1 DIFF
At times, the Sirens look like one of the best teams in the PWHL this season. They just haven't done it consistently enough to land a higher spot in the standings — or our power rankings.
New York's greatest advantage is a speedy offensive attack, fueled by an infusion of rookies, including No. 1 overall pick Kristyna Kaltounkova and No. 3 overall pick Casey O'Brien. They've helped the Sirens place 155 shots on goal, for a League-leading average of 31.0 per game.
It's translated to a pair of explosive wins, defeating the Charge 4-0 and the Goldeneyes 5-1. It's a different story in their three losses, when New York totaled just one goal and been shut out twice.
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A struggling power play, now 0-for-13 on the season, is yet another puzzling piece of this mercurial Sirens offense.
Second-year goalie Kayle Osborne (2.03 GAA, .915 save percentage) is a pleasant surprise in net, and the Sirens have plenty of confidence she's a true No. 1. Osborne's started all five games, so far, this season.
The Sirens have all the necessary pieces for a successful season, and maybe even a playoff push, but the product is simply too unpredictable right now.
6. Vancouver Goldneyes (5 points, 1-1-0-3)
Emerance Maschmeyer — courtesy of PWHL
10 GF, 15 GA, -5 DIFF
A 5-0 win over New York on Saturday gives Vancouver plenty of positives to lean on during the international break.
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The Goldeneyes snapped a three-game losing streak and celebrated their first regulation win, bolstered by a terrific 28-save shutout from goalie Emerance Maschmeyer. More importantly, it was a complete 180 from the defensive-zone issues and poor finishing that plagued Vancouver during their skid.
At a glance, the Goldeneyes are one of the best — if not the best — teams in the PWHL, boasting a top goalie, elite blue line, and no shortage of scoring talent. It just might take some time for all of that to gel.
Vancouver isn't generating as many chances as they'd like, averaging a League-worst 21.6 shots per game. Granted, they've made good on their chances with nine goals across their two wins and a 9.3 shooting percentage on the season.
The return of Sarah Nurse, who was placed on long-term injured reserve retroactive to Nov. 21 with an upper-body injury, should make for a more consistent offensive product. In the long run, Vancouver should be fine — although this sluggish start is a reminder of why the games are played on ice, not paper.
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7. Seattle Torrent (4 points, 1-0-1-1)
Hillary Knight — courtesy of PWHL
5 GF, 8 GA, -3 DIFF
Seattle celebrated their first win in franchise history last week, scoring two goals in the final 1:24 to defeat the Sirens 2-1 . Of course, it was all made possible thanks to an ill-advised major penalty by New York's rookie Kaltounkova , who also received a game misconduct.
The Torrent scored twice on the five-minute advantage, getting goals from star forwards Alex Carpenter and Knight. It was a pivotal win for team confidence, but it shouldn't mask all of the red flags.
Starting goalie Corinne Schroeder struggled mightily to begin her 2025-26 campaign, posting a 3.45 GAA and .865 save percentage in two games. Even with a 23-save gem from rookie Hannah Murphy on Wednesday, the Torrent have the worst team save percentage in the PWHL (.895).
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Seattle's 6.5 shooting percentage is tied with New York for second-worst in the League, and they haven't scored an even-strength goal since the season opener.
Perhaps this latest win is the catalyst they need. Schroeder was a quality starter for two seasons in New York, and there's no reason to think she can't replicate it in a different sweater. As for the top six, it's brimming with proven scorers. And with a fanbase that just set a women's hockey attendance record behind them, the potential is endless.
Like Vancouver, it may take some time for team chemistry to develop, but it's certainly not a question of talent.
8. Ottawa Charge (3 points, 1-0-0-3)
Gwyneth Philips — courtesy of PWHL
7 GF, 13 GA, -6 DIFF
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It's been a gloomy start to 2025-26 for the Ottawa Charge.
They have one win, a 5-1 victory over the Goldeneyes, but it's been overshadowed by three lopsided losses, in which the Charge were outscored 12-2.
The bright spots are there. Brianne Jenner is tied for the League lead with five points. Rookie defender Rory Guilday (No. 5 overall) has a goal and two assists, playing next to Jocelyne Larocque on the top defense pair.
Unfortunately, the issues loom large. Ottawa allowed an average of 32.8 shots against in four games — by far the most in the PWHL. They're generating chances at a steady rate, but it's come with poor finishing, as illustrated by a League-worst 6.0 shooting percentage.
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Philips (2.56 GAA, .922 save percentage) hasn't been bad, but she's had a couple of uncharacteristic lapses. In her defense, she hasn't had much help in front of her.
The postseason MVP last spring stopped 34 of 36 shots in a loss to Toronto on Thursday, so she'll take one of her better outings into the break. Unfortunately, unless Ottawa's finishing takes a turn for the better, she'll have to be near-flawless to turn some of these games into wins.
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