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Sports

Aerin Frankel wins Billie Jean King MVP as Fleet dominate PWHL awards

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DETROIT — The Boston Fleet dominated the PWHL awards on Tuesday night, led by Aerin Frankel, who earned the Billie Jean King MVP trophy and goalie of the year honours.

The 27-year-old Frankel set a PWHL record with eight shutouts and finished tied with Montreal’s Ann-Renee Desbiens in setting another league mark with 19 wins. She did so in 26 games, backstopping Boston to a 62-point finish — representing an 18-point jump from the previous season. The Fleet qualified for the playoffs for the second time in three years before being eliminated by Ottawa in the semifinals.

The Fleet nearly swept the awards, with Megan Keller earning defender of the year honours. Boston’s Kris Sparre was voted Coach of the Year following his first season with the Fleet. And Fleet defender Haley Winn, the second pick in the draft last year, was the league’s rookie of the year.

The only major award won by a non-Boston player was Minnesota’s Kelly Pannek, who earned forward of the year honours. Pannek led the league with 33 points and, along with Desbiens, was an MVP finalist.

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It was also a big night for USA Hockey, with Frankel, Keller, Winn and Pannek all members of the U.S. team that won gold at the Milan Cortina Games.

The American-themed hockey celebration is expected to continue in Detroit on Wednesday with five more U.S. Olympians projected to go in the first round of the PWHL draft.

The awards are determined by a vote of media members, PWHL general managers and coaches and the PWHL Players Association.

Frankel highlighted the evening. From Briarcliff Manor, New York, she finished second behind Desbiens with a 1.17 goals-against average and a .953 save percentage.

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And Frankel also beat out Desbiens and Ottawa Charge’s Gwyneth Philips in the goalie of the year vote.

The 30-year-old Keller led all PWHL defenders with 22 points (seven goals, 15 assists). Keller played a major role on the U.S. Olympic team by scoring the gold medal-clinching goal in a 2-1 overtime victory over Canada.

Sparre had no previous experience coaching women. He joined the Fleet after spending three years as an assistant with San Diego of the American Hockey League. He’s now moving on from Boston to take over the PWHL’s expansion franchise in Hamilton, Ont., to be closer to his home.

The 22-year-old Winn is from Rochester, New York, and finished tied for second among PWHL rookies with 19 points (five goals, 14 assists) in 30 games.

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Here is a look at the other award winners:

Ashton Bell, Vancouver Goldeneyes
Marlene Boissonnault, Minnesota Frost
Shiann Darkangelo, Montreal Victoire
Emma Woods, Toronto Sceptres

The 2025-26 season marks the first year that the Intact Impact Award has been given out. The four recipients were recognized for their leadership, integrity, and commitment to their teammates.

Rebecca Leslie, Ottawa Charge

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The PWHL’s hockey for all award is given to the player who made the greatest impact in their community during the regular season. A $10,000 donation will be made to a charity of the winner’s choice that supports grassroots hockey.

Kelly Pannek, Forward, Minnesota Frost
Taylor Heise, Forward, Minnesota Frost
Brianne Jenner, Forward, Ottawa Charge
Megan Keller, Defender, Boston Fleet
Sophie Jaques, Defender, Vancouver Goldeneyes
Aerin Frankel, Goalie, Boston Fleet

Laura Stacey, Forward, Montreal Victoire
Rebecca Lesliue, Forward, Ottawa Charge
Britta Curl-Salemme, Forward, Minnesota Frost
Nicole Gosling, Defender, Montreal Victorie
Haley Winn, Defender, Boston Fleet
Ann-Renée Desbiens, Goalie, Montreal Victorie

Casey O’Brien, Forward, New York Sirens
Kristýna Kaltounková, Forward, New York Sirens
Abby Newhook, Forward, Boston Fleet
Nicole Gosling, Defender, Montreal Victoire
Haley Winn, Defender, Boston Fleet
Hannah Murphy, Goalie, Seattle Torrent

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— with files from Sportsnet Staff

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Sports

Former World Champion wrestles first WWE match in 3 months

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A multi-time world champion returned to the WWE ring tonight. They wrestled their first match for the company in three months.

The latest edition of WWE NXT saw Natalya (aka Nattie) lock horns with Jaida Parker in a singles match. After suffering a series of losses, Parker was recently confronted by The Low-Key Legend on the black-and-silver show. The former Women’s Champion called the upstart “soft”, marking the beginning of their rivalry.

Last week, Jaida Parker showed up uninvited at Nattie’s Dungeon 2.0 and brutally attacked her in front of her students. She made a huge statement, setting up a one-on-one match between the two on tonight’s NXT. The bout marked Nattie’s return to the WWE ring for the first time since March 16, 2026.

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The Low-Key Legend defeated her former mentee, Maxxine Dupri, in a singles match on Monday Night RAW in March. She returned to the squared circle at GCW Josh Barnett’s Bloodsport XV, where she bested former NXT Women’s Champion Shayna Baszler by count-out.

Nattie continued her winning streak on this week’s NXT. Jaida Parker brought the fight to the veteran, but couldn’t defeat her. In the final stages of the contest, the 44-year-old locked in the Sharpshooter on Parker, forcing her to tap out.

Being a true heel, Nattie didn’t release the vicious submission hold despite winning the match. The referee had to step in and stop the veteran from inflicting more damage on the rising NXT star.

The former Women’s Champion has been a force to be reckoned with since turning heel on WWE TV. She embraced her dark side in January 2026 on an episode of RAW. Nattie backstabbed Maxxine Dupri and cost her a Women’s Intercontinental Championship match against Becky Lynch. The betrayal led to a series of matches between the Canadian superstar and Dupri.

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Fans must stay tuned to find out what’s next for Nattie following her dominant win over Jaida Parker.