Erin Ambrose is the defender of the year in the Professional Women’s Hockey League.
The quarterback of the Montreal team beat Megan Keller (Boston) and Ella Shelton (New York), becoming the first player in the young history of the circuit to receive this honor.
Ambrose, 30, was chosen in the first round (6th overall) by Montreal in 2023. A gold medalist at the 2022 Beijing Olympics and multiple medalist at the World Championships, the Ontarian has been a mainstay throughout the countryside in the metropolis. She played in all 24 of the team’s games during the season, regularly spending more than 25 minutes, even 30 minutes, on the ice. On May 11, in the second game of the playoffs, she recorded a record ice time of 61:33 against Boston.
During the season, she also collected 18 points, which placed her second in the league in this category among defenders. Only Ella Shelton (21) was ahead of her. Her differential of 5, in eighth place in the circuit, is also a reflection of her stability in defense.
Toronto’s Kristen Campbell and Troy Ryan were named goaltender and head coach of the year, respectively. The Rookie of the Year award went to Grace Zumwinkle of Minnesota.
Furthermore, Maureen Murphy, also from Montreal, was awarded the Hockey for All prize, highlighting community involvement. The 24-year-old American striker was rewarded for the many hours she devoted to volunteer commitments while pursuing her law studies alongside her hockey career.