NEW YORK AND TORONTO– The Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) today announced that Renata Fast of the Toronto Sceptres, Sophie Jaques of the Minnesota Frost, and Claire Thompson of the Minnesota Frost have been voted as the three finalists for the 2025 PWHL Defender of the Year award.
The PWHL Defender of the Year award is presented to the defender who showcases the most outstanding ability at the position throughout the regular season.
RENATA FAST, TORONTO SCEPTRES
Fast impacted the game at both ends of the ice with her offense, physicality and stability. She tied Jaques for first in scoring among defenders with 22 points in 30 games, led the league with 63 hits, and led all PWHL skaters in time on ice at 739:45 and an average of 24:39 per game. The Sceptres alternate captain became the first defender and one of only two skaters to record 16 assists in a season, including a record 11 power play helpers. Her two power play goals also contributed to a share of a league-high 13 points on the advantage. Fast’s six goals ranked third in her position and led all rearguards with three game-winning tallies— she was the only defender to score more than one game-winner. The 30-year-old from Burlington, ON, exploded out of the gate with a six-game point streak to open her second season – the longest point streak by a defender in 2024-25.
SOPHIE JAQUES, MINNESOTA FROST
Jaques’ offensive potential came to fruition in her second professional season, going from 10 points in 22 games as a PWHL rookie, to 22 points in 25 games as a fixture on the Frost blue line. Her 22 points tied Fast for the overall lead among defenders, while her 0.88 points-per-game rate led the position and ranked fourth among all active skaters. The 2023 Patty Kazmaier Award recipient led all rearguards with six multi-point performances and 75 shots on goal. She finished second among defenders and tied for third overall with 15 assists, which included a league-high 13 assists on even strength goals. Jaques ranked second in goals from the blue line with seven, including one on the power play, and was one of two defenders to score a shorthanded goal. The plus-12 rating by the 24-year-old from Toronto, ON, ranked second among defenders and tied for fourth in the PWHL.
CLAIRE THOMPSON, MINNESOTA FROST
Thompson made an immediate impact in her first PWHL season, most impressively after spending a year away from hockey to focus on her medical studies. The third overall pick in the 2024 PWHL Draft finished third in points among defenders with 18 in 30 games, joining Jaques on a Frost blue line that led the PWHL with 63 points. She scored four goals and added 14 assists, which ranked third at the position and included a league-high 11 primary helpers. Thompson was the only defender to record a five-game assist streak this season, tied for first with five assists on game-opening goals and tied Jaques in setting up nine different teammates for goals this season. The 27-year-old from Toronto, ON, was the first of four players, and only defender, to deliver a record-tying four-point performance with a goal and three assists on Dec. 19 in just her fourth PWHL game.
A selection committee cast their votes for six regular-season PWHL awards, including Defender 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 Defender of the Year have been named finalists. Winners of all PWHL Awards will be announced on June 25 at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Ottawa.
Last season, Montréal’s Erin Ambrose was the inaugural recipient of the Defender of the Year award, voted over finalists Megan Keller of Boston and Ella Shelton of New York.
