Canada’s Natalie Spooner received her IIHF Female Player of the Year award from president Luc Tardif last night in a special ceremony during the Toronto Sceptres PWHL home game against the Ottawa Charge.
The Canadian/Toronto Sceptres forward was the overwhelming choice as the IIHF’s Female Player of the Year for 2023-24, garnering 33.6 per cent of all votes cast by nearly 100 members of the media from the top 16 nations of the Women’s World Championship program. Voters consisted of media (70 per cent) and appropriate IIHF Family (30 per cent). The award is intended for the player who excelled at both the IIHF level (Women’s Worlds, World U18 Women’s) and in a domestic league of the highest calibre for that country.
“It's a great honour to be nominated alongside so many amazing athletes, and to receive this is truly special,” Spooner said after the presentation. “I think back to the last year, and it’s been a whirlwind. There have been so many amazing moments, from the new league starting up, the Sceptres going on our winning streak. And, obviously, I wouldn’t be getting this award without my teammates who push me every day and help me, and then Team Canada bringing gold back to Canada at the Women’s Worlds. All of those things together have been amazing. There are so many people I think of when I think of this award, who have helped me and been a part of this.”
Second in voting was American Alex Carpenter (New York Sirens), who had 14.6 per cent of the votes, ahead of another Canadian, Marie-Philip Poulin (Montreal Victoire, 11.5 per cent), Swiss forward Alina Muller (Boston Fleet, 9.1), Finnish defender Jenni Hiirikoski (Lulea/SDHL, 8.3), and German goaltender Sandra Abstreiter (Montreal Victoire, 7.9 per cent).
In all, some eleven players received at least one vote. Other players nominated included Aija Balode (LAT/Laima, LHF), Kendall Coyne Schofield (USA/Minnesota Frost), Taylor Heise (USA/Minnesota Frost), Klara Peslarova (CZE/Boston Fleet), and Susanna Tapani (FIN/Boston Fleet).
Spooner had a goal and four points at the 2024 Women’s Worlds in Utica, New York, helping Canada win the gold medal at the Women’s Worlds for the third time in the last four tournaments. But perhaps more sensational was her play in the PWHL with Toronto. She led the league in goals (20) and points (27) and was named both the Billie Jean King MVP and the league’s Forward of the Year. She also led the PWHL with five game-winning goals during the regular season. Always a scorer with the national team, her goalscoring prowess exploded during the PWHL’s inaugural season.
“I don’t think [coach Troy Ryan] told me anything different,” Spooner continued. “I think back when I played in the CWHL, this was probably my role, too, to be scoring a lot of goals. And after that, we didn’t really have a consistent league, so just to be back in a league and playing regularly just helped propel that success, and playing on a team with so many amazing players also helped, to be set up to succeed and get those opportunities to put the puck in the net.”
Spooner feels she is the same player she has always been, the same scorer at the league or international level.
“I think my role on both teams is the same—a power forward who can take pucks to the net—be a really good net presence on the power play or five-on-five—so I think it’s really just creating those opportunities to bury pucks. Obviously, with the national team, you’re playing against the best of the best, and the players are amazing. But we get together with the national team only every so often, so it’s a little harder to build that chemistry so fast. So, to be able to play with teammates throughout the whole season helps build that chemistry.”