The Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) has a great collection of players. More specifically, there are some top-notch defenders across the league. The question is: which team has the best defence pair in the PWHL? I’m here to answer that question as best I can.
First, here is a top-six of defenders that were considered and could easily get on my next list.
Honourable Mentions
Anna Wilgren — Cayla Barnes
Kati Tabin — Maggie Flaherty
Brooke Hobson — Rory Guilday
These six pairs have been great this season, and you could probably make an argument to push them into the list. Here’s who I believe are the top five defence pairings in the PWHL right now.
5. Ronja Savolainen and Jocelyne Larocque
The Ottawa Charge’s duo of Ronja Savolainen and Jocelyne Larocque is their top pairing on a blue line that is getting better with each game. Head coach Carla MacLeod has mixed up the pairs in recent games, putting the veterans with Hobson and Guilday, but the reliable set has mostly stayed together this season. They are a shutdown group that eats a lot of minutes for an Ottawa team that is fighting for a playoff spot.
Related: 3 Takeaways From Sceptres’ 4-0 Loss to Fleet
Both Savolainen and Larocque are disciplined defenders who are a tough out for anyone that takes them on. They both rank in the top 25 among blueliners in hits and in the top 10 in terms of ice time per game. The Charge’s young defenders are doing good work, but they have a couple of workhorses leading the way for now.
4. Lee Stecklein and Sidney Morin
The defending champions had quite the shake-up on their blue line coming into this season, but that hasn’t seemed to faze Lee Stecklein. She’s been paired with Natalie Buchbinder quite a bit, and a little with rookie stud Kendall Cooper; however, the best pairing by far for the Minnesota Frost has been her work with new arrival Sidney Morin. The two don’t show up on the scoresheet a lot, and that’s because they are doing incredible work in the defensive zone. Although Morin’s offensive game has elevated as of late.
Both players are among the best in expected goals, with Morin ranked sixth among defenders. Morin is also sixth in blocks. Stecklein is an overall positive presence, as she is the best of all blueliners with a plus-14 rating. It’s a well-balanced top pair, and they are one of the main reasons the Frost are cruising towards the playoffs.
3. Claire Thompson and Sophie Jaques
The reason Minnesota’s defence group saw so much change is that they lost a couple of stars in the making to the Vancouver Goldeneyes. Their names are Claire Thompson and Sophie Jaques. The two of them are young players anchoring a relatively inexperienced Goldeneyes blue line. They are doing a spectacular job of it, too.
Both players rank in the top-10 among PWHL defenders in goals minus expected goals (G-xG), with Jaques’ rating at 2.29. Jaques also has a league-best 3.71 expected goals mark. Despite their team’s struggles this season, they are the second-highest scoring duo on this list and are both among the top-four scorers on their team. These two are certainly doing everything they can to get things going for the Goldeneyes, putting in the work on both ends.
This was clearly evident in their Frost days as well. They combined for 40 points last season and finished second and third in the race for 2024-25 Defender of the Year. One or both of them could be up for that honour once again when this season comes to a close.
2. Ella Shelton and Renata Fast
A new pair for the Toronto Sceptres that is paying dividends quickly comes in at number two. Ella Shelton and Renata Fast are a couple of seasoned veterans who are absolutely surgical when it comes to locking down their own zone. They are also solid contributors in the offensive end as well, making them two of the most well-rounded defenders in the league.
Shelton came over to Toronto in a trade shortly after the conclusion of last season and immediately made their blue line dangerous. They are both inside the top-10 among defenders in hits (Fast being first) and in the top-15 for expected goals. Shelton is also second in blocked shots with 46. They have combined for 14 points this season and seek to hold the ship steady as their team pushes for the playoffs.
1. Megan Keller and Haley Winn
It hasn’t even been a full season of these two together, but the chemistry and dominance are undeniable. Boston Fleet captain Megan Keller has always been a star, but it appears pairing her with 2025 second-overall pick Haley Winn has created a two-headed monster that almost no one can solve. They have played together all season, including at the Olympics, and look like they’ve been together for years. They rank at or near the top of every stat category and are a huge part of the Fleet’s first-place standing at the moment.
Keller and Winn are first and second in points scored by defenders, combining for 31 points so far. They are also right behind Jaques in the expected goals category at two and three. The Fleet have recorded a PWHL record three-consecutive shutouts (big credit due to Aerin Frankel), and it’s a testament to the elite defence these two and the rest of the team have played. I can go on and on about all the stats Keller and Winn are near the top in, but the evidence is more than there. They are the best defensive duo in the league.
Like I said, there’s a lot of talent in the PWHL right now and probably a good argument to be made for other duos to make the list. Maybe it will change by this time next year.
