Top 10 Women's Hockey Players of 2024

2024 was a monumental year for women's hockey. From the incredibly successful inaugural season of the Professional Womens Hockey League to an exciting IIHF Womens World Championship, along with entertaining action during the Rivalry Series and the college hockey season, there are many reasons for fans to look back on the year that was.

On the ice, the players were in the spotlight more than ever before. It led to veterans having great years, and young faces making names for themselves.

Here are my top 10 women's hockey players for 2024.

1. Natalie Spooner

No player had more success in the PWHL's inaugural season than Natalie Spooner. In a league that featured a lot of tight defense, the longtime Canadian national team star put the puck in the back of the net at a ferocious pace and ultimately finished leading the league with 20 goals. No other player scored more than 11. The 32-year-old was the PWHL's Top Goal Scorer and Points Leader and was named the first-ever recipient of the Billie Jean King MVP Award.

In addition, Spooner recorded four points for Canada at the Women's World Cup and was named IIHF Female Player of the Year, the second time the honor has been presented. She also tied for the most points in the 2023-24 Rivalry Series, helping the Canadians come from a 3-0 deficit for the second year in a row.

Unfortunately, her calendar year was hampered after she tore her ACL during the PWHL semifinal against Minnesota, which resulted in her missing the start of the 2024-2025 season.

2. Alex Timmerman

Carpenter is one of the most decorated players of the modern era, but she may be coming off one of the best years of her career.

The North Reading, Massachusetts, native has been one of the bright spots in what has been a difficult opening season for New York's PWHL franchise. She led the team in scoring and tied for second in the league in points (23) and tied for most assists (15). Timmerman's efforts led her to become a finalist for the league's MVP.

She has started well again in year two of the competition. On par with star rookie Sarah Fillier and fellow veteran Jesse Eldridge, the 30-year-old has recorded six points in the first four games of the season.

Carpenter also had a great performance at the Women's World Cup. In helping the U.S. reach the championship game, she tied for the most goals (6) and points (10) in Utica and was named the tournament's best forward. It was the most points she has ever scored at a world championship.

3. Marie-Philip Poulin

You knew she would make this list one day.

Captain Clutch likely would have led the PWHL in scoring had she not hurt her knee in March, causing her to miss three games during the regular season. Yet Poulin's impact was felt throughout the competition. She was part of a Montreal team that was a heavy favorite to win the Walter Cup. In 21 games, Poulin scored 10 goals and 13 assists, finishing tied for second in the league.

The 33-year-old's injury hampered her early in the world championship, but Poulin stepped up when needed, scoring two goals in the gold medal match and helping Canada beat the US and win the country's third world championship in four years to save time.

Her stats may not have been as staggering as some might expect from arguably the greatest female hockey player ever, but what Poulin has done for women's soccer, especially over the past year, has been substantial.

4. Kirsten Simms

The youngest player on this list turned heads at the University of Wisconsin last season and is on his way to becoming a dominant force in the professional game.

The Plymouth, Michigan native led the NCAA as a sophomore last year, scoring 33 goals and 75 points in 39 games. She was one of the finalists for the Patty Kazmaier Award (and probably should have won it) and played a key role in helping the Badgers return to the national championship game. Simms is off to a great start in her junior season, scoring 21 points through the first 20 games of the season.

Simms made her first appearance with the senior national team during the 2023-24 Rivalry Series, scoring a goal in Game 3. She really shined in Utica and was a reliable secondary scorer for the USA, with two goals and two assists, including overtime. winner during the group stage against Canada.

5. Dan Edwards

On a team with Kirsten Simms, Casey O'Brien and Britta Curl, Edwards was seen as a secondary scorer on Wisconsin's team last season. However, the Cleveland Heights, Ohio native has really made a name for himself at the world championships.

Edwards used her skill as a power forward and made her presence known by scoring twice in the Americans' group stage victory over Finland. She then scored a hat trick in the semifinals against Suomi, almost single-handedly sending the US to the gold medal game.

Edwards ultimately finished tied for first in goals with teammate Alex Carpenter and was named the tournament's MVP.

The success she had carried over into her junior campaign with the Badgers, where she currently ranks second in the NCAA in goals (18) and points (39). Edwards also scored three points in the first three games of this year's Rivalry Series.

6. Caroline Harvey

Harvey, another member of Wisconsin's talented class of 2026, was one of the most efficient two-way defensemen in hockey this past year.

In 2023-2024, the Salem, New Hampshire native led all NCAA blueliners with 30 assists but really showed her skills in Utica, cementing her status as an international star. With 10 points, Harvey finished tied for the lead in tournament scoring, leading all skaters with eight assists.

A year removed from being the tournament's top defenseman, Harvey led all blueliners offensively and was named to the Media All-Star Team.

After helping the Badgers reach another national championship game, Harvey is off to an extremely good start this season. Not only does she lead all defensemen in scoring with 37 points in 20 games, the junior defenseman is also third in the nation in scoring.

7. Noora Sincerely

While the majority of fans in North America are just starting to get to know her name, Noora Tulus has been one of the best European players in recent years. She spent the last few years with a dominant Lule HF team that won six consecutive SDHL championships. Last season she led the league in scoring, with an incredible 61 points in 36 games, including another 12 in the play-offs.

Internationally, she was one of the best players for Finland on the EuroHockey Tour, finishing second on her team with a score of 14 points. Tulus was also part of the Finnish squad that won a bronze medal at the world championships for the first time in three years.

The 29-year-old was part of the large wave of European players who made the jump to the PWHL. Tulus was taken in the third round by the New York Sirens and is expected to be a key part of the team's success this season.

8. Ann-Rene Desbiens

The best goalkeeper in the world undoubtedly came into action in several situations over the past calendar year. Aside from a shaky performance in the gold medal game in Utica, Desbiens has been one of the most consistent forces for Canada at the World Championship and Rivalry Series.

While Team Canada struggled to find convincing offense in Utica, Desbiens made key saves when needed. Montreal backstop Victoire finished with the tournament's second-best goals-against average (1.36), a .936 save percentage with two shutouts, winning her third gold medal at the Women's Worlds.

In the Rivalry Series and PWHL, she may not have had to be the star of the show, but she was a big part of Canada and Montreal's success.

9. Taylor Heise

Heise had a rough start to the calendar year, mainly because she suffered an injury in Game 7 of the Rivalry Series that caused her to miss a few weeks. However, she returned in time for the Women's World Cup and to narrowly help Minnesota get into the PWHL Playoffs.

In Utica, Heise looked comfortable for the first time in a few months, finishing seventh on the team with an average of one point per game.

Back in the PWHL, the first-ever No. 1 pick improved her play in the postseason. Her two goals in the decisive Game 5 of the semifinals helped eliminate top-seeded Toronto. Then in the finals against Boston, the former Golden Gopher scored six points, including three points in the series opener, to help Minnesota win its first-ever Walter Cup.

Heise's postseason performance, in which she scored five goals and eight points, led to her being honored with the Ilana Kloss Playoff MVP Award.

10. Renata Fast

While everyone was focused on the exceptional play of Spooner, Sarah Nurse and Kristen Campbell in Toronto, Renata Fast was somewhat overlooked despite being one of the top blueliners in the PWHL's inaugural campaign.

With such a strong scoring core in the Six, Fast was seen as more of a defensive mainstay alongside her old d-partner Jocelyne Larocque. Fast still managed to score 13 points and finished tied for fourth among defensemen.

Although the Scepters have had a bumpy start to 2024-25, Fast is off to a good start offensively, with three assists in the first three games.

In Utica, Fast was surprisingly one of Canada's top scoring threats. The former Clarkson star led the team with three goals and six points and was the world's best women's defender for the first time in her career.

Honorable mention

Sara nurse (Toronto Sceptres) Nurse was a big part of Spooner and Toronto's success in the inaugural PWHL season. She finished tied for second in the league in goals (11) and points (23), and won gold with Team Canada in Utica last spring.

Aerin Frankel (Boston Fleet) The American veteran was instrumental in helping her team return to another gold medal run at the Women's World Cup, as well as playing at the MVP level in getting Boston to the PWHL finals.

Izzy Daniel (Toronto Sceptres/Cornell Big Red) Daniel won the Patty Kazmaier Award as the best player in women's hockey and was taken by the Scepters in the third of the PWHL Draft.

Natalie Mlynkova (Vermont/Minnesota) Mylnkova played a key role in helping the Czech Republic move within the target of another bronze medal when she was named to the Media All-Star Team at the Women's World Cup. After a few fruitful years at Vermont, she moved on to a national title contender in Minnesota.

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