BOO! This is Dylan Nazareth from The Ice Garden here with a special Halloween edition of Hockey Friday. In the spirit of the spooky season, today we’re looking at each PWHL team’s scariest player heading into the 2025-26 season. When these eight women take the ice, opponents beware!
Taylor Heise – Minnesota Frost
Coming off back-to-back Walter Cup wins, there are a lot of reasons to want to avoid facing the Frost this season. Chief among them? Dynamic forward Taylor Heise, the first-ever PWHL draft pick, who now boasts a bone-chilling 15 points in 18 playoff games. Watch out for Heise as she looks to help lead the Frost to a three-peat this season. You’ve been warned!
Hilary Knight – PWHL Seattle
Knight may have turned 36 this past summer, but don’t expect anything less than a weapon on the ice. The American captain finished tied for the league lead in points last season with 29 through 30 games, and now brings her big physical presence to Seattle. Look for her to come out hot in this Olympic year, striking fear in the hearts of every Canadian en route to her final Olympic Games appearance.
Darryl Watts – Toronto Sceptres
Watts has been skating alongside Laura Stacey and Marie-Philip Poulin at this week’s Team Canada training camp in Montreal, as possibly the trio that will lead the charge for the Canadians’ gold medal defense at the Olympics this year. She’s a threatening goalscorer and dangerous playmaker who makes it all look scary easy.
Aerin Frankel – Boston Fleet
The PWHL’s all-time saves leader is sure to continue frightening the forwards she faces this season. Gearing up for her Olympic debut, the 26-year-old American netminder is looking to backstop Team USA to glory after taking home gold at two of the last three World Championships. After finishing as a finalist for the PWHL’s Goaltender of the Year award twice now, she’s no doubt hungry to make a run at it again this season.
Hannah Miller – PWHL Vancouver
Miller broke through on the scoresheet last season with 10 goals and 24 points in 29 games for the Toronto Sceptres. Now playing on her hometown team, with big offensive firepower surrounding her, expect a monster year from the 29-year-old.
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Gwyneth Philips – Ottawa Charge
Philips stepped up as the Charge’s starting goalie last season and exceeded all expectations. Leading the team to their first Walter Cup Final finish, she earned playoff MVP for her stellar play and finished as a finalist for Goaltender and Rookie of the Year. Known for her calm demeanor, she doesn’t spook easily, but is sure to give nightmares to all those who face her.
Marie-Philip Poulin – Montréal Victoire
Speaking of nightmares, Marie-Philip Poulin has been a recurring one for Team USA and just about everyone she’s faced for over a decade now. As one of the greatest in the game, she continued to dominate in the PWHL last season with an impressive 19 goals in 30 appearances. No doubt she’ll keep terrorizing opposing goaltenders this year.
Sarah Fillier – New York Sirens
In her rookie year, Fillier tied Knight’s league-leading 29-point total, finished fourth in goalscoring with 13, was named Rookie of the Year, and finished as a finalist for Forward of the Year. Representing the next era of superstars, the sky’s the limit for Fillier in her sophomore season. Caution: no defensive unit is safe.
“Becoming Caitlin Clark” is available now!
Howard Megdal’s newest book is here! “Becoming Caitlin Clark: The Unknown Origin Story of a Modern Basketball Superstar” captures both the historic nature of Clark’s rise and the critical context over the previous century that helped make it possible.
More from around the women’s hockey world:
Reevaluating the Sirens’ Forwards in Absence of Webster – The Ice Garden’s Natalia Rachman takes a look at how the New York Sirens can adapt after losing 2025 draft pick Makenna Webster
Poulin Is Not Jumping The Gun – The Hockey News’ Karine Hains speaks with the legendary Marie-Philip Poulin, who’s not taking anything for granted entering the Olympic season
Nicole’s NCAA Notebook: October 27, 2025 – Nicole Haase is here with her latest round-up of the college hockey season
100 Days to Milano Cortina 2026 – A great look at some stories to watch with the Winter Olympics on the horizon from The Ice Garden’s LJ Bachenheimer, including the controversy with their planned hockey venue
Jersey Review: PWHL Seattle and Vancouver – The Ice Garden writers give their takes on Vancouver and Seattle’s newly-released sweaters for their inaugural season
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