NEW YORK AND TORONTO – Minnesota Frost defender Lee Stecklein, Ottawa Charge goaltender Gwyneth Philips and Montréal Victoire goaltender Ann-Renée Desbiens have been named the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) 3 Stars of the Week presented by Shark Beauty Canada following games from May 5-May 11.
FIRST STAR – LEE STECKLEIN, D, MINNESOTA FROST
With two goals and an assist in the second period of Minnesota’s 5-3 Game Two victory over the Toronto Sceptres, Stecklein became the first player in PWHL history to collect three points in a playoff period while also becoming the first defender to collect three points in a playoff game. Stecklein’s Minnesota teammates, Taylor Heise and Michela Cava, first achieved the three-point, single-game milestone during last season’s Finals against Boston. In Game One of the series, Stecklein set up a score by Britta Curl-Salemme at 13:56 of the second period to start a Minnesota comeback bid that finished a goal short in Toronto’s 3-2 triumph. She added a goal plus an assist in Sunday’s 7-5 Game Three victory. Stecklein finished the week with 3-3—6 in the first three games of the series, tops among PWHL playoff scorers. After scoring just two goals in her first 62 career regular-season and playoff games, Stecklein enters Game 4 of the series Wednesday night on a five-game point streak (6-3—9) that dates to the regular season. She has matched her regular-season total for goals while doubling her playoff points output from last season (0-3—3 in 10 games).
SECOND STAR – GWYNETH PHILIPS, G, OTTAWA CHARGE
After making 31 saves in the series-opening 3-2 Ottawa victory at Montréal that gave the Charge a win in their first-ever playoff game, Philips added 53 saves before surrendering a goal to Catherine Dubois at 15:33 of the fourth overtime in Sunday’s historic 3-2 Victoire triumph at Place Bell. Philips’ 53 saves, which included 31 beyond regulation, were the third-most all-time and the highest total ever for a rookie goaltender in the PWHL. The longest game in PWHL history (135:33) came exactly one year following the previous record, a triple-overtime result (111:44) between Boston and Montréal in Game 2 of last year’s semifinal on May 11, 2024. Philips’ previous single-game high for saves was 35, which she made in her PWHL debut against Minnesota on Dec. 19, and contributed to a regular-season where she led all rookie netminders with a .919 save percentage. In the opening-game triumph, Philips became the first rookie PWHL goaltender to record a playoff victory.
THIRD STAR – ANN-RENÉE DESBIENS, G, MONTRÉAL VICTOIRE
Desbiens earned her first career playoff victory, and the first playoff victory in Montréal team history, making 63 saves on 65 shots Sunday and being the goaltender on the winning end of the longest PWHL game ever played. Ottawa’s 65 shots were the most in any PWHL game, regular-season or playoffs, and the 63 saves surpassed the previous record of 56 set by Boston’s Aerin Frankel in last season’s triple-overtime game. Desbiens’ previous high for saves was 50, set in that same contest. After surrendering the tying goal to Ottawa’s Brianne Jenner with just 42 seconds remaining in regulation play, the latest game-tying goal in PWHL playoff history, Desbiens blanked the Charge for the next 75:51, making 33 saves in overtime, until Dubois could score the quadruple-overtime winner to even the semifinal series at one victory per team. In the series opener, the 31-year-old from Clermont, Quebec, turned in a 24-save performance. With 87 saves across the two games played so far, Desbiens leads PWHL goaltenders in that department and her save percentage of .946 ranks just ahead of Philips’ .944.
The ‘3 Stars of the Week’ are announced each Monday throughout the regular season and playoffs, encompassing games from the previous Monday through Sunday. Points will be awarded to each selection and will help determine rankings at the end of the year. 
First Star = 30 Points Second Star = 20 Points Third Star = 10 Points
PWHL ‘3 Stars of the Week’ Standings
Marie-Philip Poulin (MTL) = 100 Points
Laura Stacey (MTL) = 80 Points
Hilary Knight (BOS) = 70 Points
Corinne Schroeder (NY) = 60 Points
Abby Boreen (MTL) = 50 Points
Gabbie Hughes (OTT) = 50 Points
Hannah Miller (TOR) = 50 Points
Lee Stecklein (MIN) = 50 Points
Tereza Vanišová (OTT) = 50 Points
Kristen Campbell (TOR) = 40 Points
Alex Carpenter (NY) = 40 Points
Gwyneth Philips (OTT) = 40 Points
Susanna Tapani (BOS) = 40 Points
Erin Ambrose (MTL) = 30 Points
Ashton Bell (OTT) = 30 Points
Emily Clark (OTT) = 30 Points
Shiann Darkangelo (OTT) = 30 Points
Sarah Fillier (NY) = 30 Points
Nicole Hensley (MIN) = 30 Points
Emerance Maschmeyer (OTT) = 30 Points
Alina Müller (BOS) = 30 Points
Claire Thompson (MIN) = 30 Points
Michela Cava (MIN) = 20 Points
Kendall Coyne Schofield (MIN) = 20 Points
Ann-Renée Desbiens (MTL) = 20 Points
Renata Fast (TOR) = 20 Points
Megan Keller (BOS) = 20 Points
Kateřina Mrázová (OTT) = 20 Points
Abby Roque (NY) = 20 Points
Taylor Heise (MIN) = 10 Points
Sophie Jaques (MIN) = 10 Points
Sidney Morin (BOS) = 10 Points
Klára Peslarová (BOS) = 10 Points
Maddie Rooney (MIN) = 10 Points
Kati Tabin (MTL) = 10 Points
Daryl Watts (TOR) = 10 Points
