PWHL Players of the Week: Olympic-bound stars take center stage
The PWHL continued this week, and with Olympic rosters named across the board, one thing has become evident — performances matter more than ever.
While past iterations of women’s hockey have seen a core group called up for every international tournament, the first Olympic with the PWHL showed that playing well in the lead-up can earn you a spot on the team. Yes, it’s still a consistent group for Team USA and Team Canada, but both have added importance based on current form, not only past resumes.
This week in the PWHL ended with a massive Sunday, featuring crowds of 14,624 in Québec City and 10,452 in Halifax for Takeover Tour games, as well as 9,787 for the Minnesota Frost’s home win over the Seattle Torrent.
Here, Daily Faceoff picks the top three PWHL Players of the Week.
Kayle Osborne, G (New York Sirens)
There were plenty of worries around the New York Sirens when they lost standout goaltender Corrine Schroeder to the Seattle Torrent in the expansion process, but second-year netminder Kayle Osborne has more than filled the void.
This week was one that the 23-year-old will never forget. Already backstopping a high-flying Sirens team on a four-game win streak, she stopped 31 shots in a 2–0 shutout win over the Toronto Sceptres on Tuesday, extending the win streak to a franchise-record five games.
At the same time, that win came in front of Hockey Canada general manager Gina Kingsbury and head coach Troy Ryan, who later in the week named Osborne to her first Canadian Olympic team, likely as the third goalie behind the Vancouver Goldeneyes’ Emerance Maschmeyer and Montréal Victoire’s Anne-Renné Desbiens.
Osborne’s shutout brought her save percentage to .930 through 11 games in 2025-26, as she surpassed her rookie season’s 10 appearances in her first year as the starter, while also pushing the Sirens into the Walter Cup Playoff picture.
Brianne Jenner, F (Ottawa Charge)
As much as Osbrone played her way onto her first Olympic roster as a young player with an outstanding season, Jenner did the same, but got herself back on the team at 34 years old amid a standout campaign with the Ottawa Charge.
While there were some thoughts that Canada would skew for younger talents, Jenner ensured her form would not make that decision easy. In the week she was named to her fourth Olympics, she backed that up as well, netting goals in wins over the Vancouver Goldeneyes and Boston Fleet this week.
With a combined six shots between the two games, she continued to be one of Ottawa’s top offensive options, and her seven goals on the season bring her to second in league scoring, only trailing Kendall Coyne-Schofield’s eight goals for the Minnesota Frost.
Leading Ottawa’s record six-game win streak and with four goals in her last three games, she will look to continue her stellar season against the Victoire on Tuesday, continuing to look ahead to Milano-Cortina.
Grace Zumwinkle, F (Minnesota Frost)
Grace Zumwinkle's on hatty watch 🎯 pic.twitter.com/qLec98plCK
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) January 11, 2026The Minnesota Frost had a mixed week with a loss against the Victoire before bouncing back with a win over the Torrent, but Grace Zumwinkle remained one of their most consistent players in both games.
On Sunday, she netted a pair over the Torrent, helping her side put up an early 3-0 lead by the middle of the second period and acting as the finishing piece alongside Sidney Morin, who had a three-assist performance. With over 17 minutes of ice time, she also posted a game-high nine shots, three more than the next-best player in the contest.
Her second goal of the game, in particular, stood out. Moring held the puck onside at the blueline before Zumwinkle held off a defender to make a quick turn and place a perfect shot past Hannah Murphy between the pipes.
The Frost ended the week sitting fourth in the PWHL, but with Zuminkle’s showing and their two-game losing skid ended, they will look to string together back-to-back wins when they take on the red-hot Sirens on Friday.