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Montreal Victoire goalie Ann-Renée Desbiens (35) jumps as she celebrates in the final seconds behind Ottawa Charge forward Fanuza Kadirova (71) to win the PWHL Walter Cup hockey final in Ottawa, Wednesday May 20, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld

Desbiens, Frankel, Pannek named finalists for PWHL’s Billie Jean King MVP award

May 27, 2026 | 9:53 AM

TORONTO — Montréal Victoire goaltender Ann-Renée Desbiens, Boston Fleet goalie Aerin Frankel and Minnesota Frost forward Kelly Pannek are the finalists for the 2026 Billie Jean King MVP award, the Professional Women’s Hockey League announced Wednesday.

Desbiens and Frankel, who are also up for the goaltender of the year award, both set a PWHL record with 19 wins in the 2025-26 season.

Desbiens also had a league-low six losses and a 1.11 goals-against average in 25 games, helping the Victoire finish first in the regular season before claiming their first Walter Cup.

Frankel led the league with eight shutouts and posted a 1.17 goals-against average, helping Boston improve by 18 points over the previous season.