Spooner, Poulin, Carpenter named PWHL Forward of the Year finalists

Toronto's Natalie Spooner, Montreal's Marie-Philip Poulin, and New York's Alex Carpenter are the three finalists for PWHL Forward of the Year, the league announced Thursday.

Spooner, 33, led the league with 20 goals and 27 points in 24 contests. She was nine goals clear of second place. Spooner had a PWHL-leading six multi-goal games and paced the league with seven power-play markers. She also had the most shots on goal (101) and game-winning goals (5).

The Toronto star sustained a season-ending knee injury in Game 3 of the semifinals versus Minnesota.

Poulin, 32, tied for second in league scoring despite missing three games. The Canadian superstar recorded 10 goals and 23 points in 21 contests to lead Montreal in both categories. She was dominant at the dot, winning 57.9% of her league-high 449 faceoffs. Poulin played over 21 minutes a game.

Carpenter, 30, also totaled 23 points. She was the joint PWHL leader with 15 assists. Her six-game point streak from Jan. 28 through Feb. 28 was tied for the longest this season. Carpenter tallied 10 points on the player advantage, which was also tied for the most in the league. She won 59% of her draws while playing over 20 minutes per contest.

The PWHL's 18-member selection committee voted for the awards. Winners will be announced in June.