HEISE, JENNER, PANNEK VOTED PWHL FORWARD OF THE YEAR FINALISTS
May 19, 2026 — New York & Toronto
The Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) today announced that Taylor Heise of the Minnesota Frost, Brianne Jenner of the Ottawa Charge, and Kelly Pannek of the Minnesota Frost have been voted as the three finalists for the 2026 PWHL Forward of the Year award.
The PWHL Forward of the Year award is presented to the forward who showcases the most outstanding ability at the position throughout the regular season.
KELLY PANNEK, MINNESOTA FROST
Pannek set new single-season standards in her third campaign, finishing atop the league leaderboard in multiple categories and more than doubling a previous career-high of 16 points from the inaugural season. The Frost alternate captain became the second player to claim both the Points Leader Award and Top Goal Scorer Award, joining Natalie Spooner (20-7—27 in 2024), after pacing the league with 16 goals and a PWHL single-season record 33 points in 30 games. Pannek tied for the league lead with three multi-goal games, and her seven power-play goals matched Spooner’s league record set in 24 games of the inaugural season. The 30-year-old set a record with 14 assists on even-strength goals, and her 17 total helpers tied for second overall. Dominant at the faceoff dot for Minnesota, she logged 341 wins on 575 attempts, second-most in the league, for a 59.3 percent efficiency that ranked third among centers with more than 15 draws. Her 341 faceoff wins ranks third all-time, and she is one of only two players with over 1,500 faceoffs in her career. The Plymouth, MN native also earned a share of the league lead with four game-winning goals and owned the highest shooting percentage at 27.6 percent among skaters with a minimum of 15 shots on goal.
A selection committee cast their votes for six regular-season PWHL awards, including Forward of the Year, along with the league’s First and Second All-Star Teams and an All-Rookie Team, between the conclusion of regular season and the commencement of playoffs. The three players that received the most voting points for Forward of the Year have been named finalists. Winners of all PWHL Awards will be announced on June 16 in Detroit.
Last season (2024-25), Montréal’s Marie-Philip Poulin was the recipient of the Forward of the Year award, voted over finalists Sarah Fillier (New York) and Hilary Knight (Boston).
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