Tereza Vanisova has played her way into a prestigious conversation. The Ottawa Charge forward should be considered a leading candidate for the PWHL's Most Valuable Player (MVP).
There are players with more points, but there are few in the PWHL with more impact.
Looking at the PWHL's top three goal scorers this season, Marie-Philip Poulin leads the way with 17, followed by Vanisova and Hilary Knight, who are tied with 15.
When you break it down further, Vanisova leads that trio in goals/60 minutes. She sits at 2.15 G/60. Poulin follows at 2.01 G/60, and Knight at 1.57 G/60.
When Vanisova is on the ice, no player is as threatening.
Big Moments Cause Vanisova To Rise
From before Tereza Vansiova joined the PWHL, she was a big game player. On the Czech national team, Vanisova has been there for the team rising to promotion, and eventually winning bronze at the top division of the World Championships.
Professionally, she scored the overtime winner for the Toronto Six in the PHF final. It was the final goal ever in league history, and gave her team an Isobel Cup title.
This season, Vanisova has risen time and again when her team needed it. With the playoffs seemingly slipping away in recent weeks, Vanisova has been at her best. On March 22, she scored a hat trick to lift the Ottawa Charge to a 5-2 win over New York. It was a crucial regulation win in the Charge's push for playoffs.
It was her second hat trick of the season. The first came back in February in an 8-3 win over the Minnesota Frost.
Then, following a devastating loss earlier this week that could have derailed even the most focused team, Vanisova stepped up yet again scoring twice in a crucial 2-1 win over the Boston Fleet. Vanisova scored twice late in the third period in a 32 second span to flip the script from trailing 1-0, to leading and winning 2-1.
Unique Physicality
It's not typically the stat you want to lead the league in, but Tereza Vanisova plays with an edge, and she doesn't hold back. It's resulted in Vanisova being penalized more than any player in the PWHL with 38 minutes. Directly behind her in the stat are Sarah Fillier (33) and Renata Fast (30). Playing with a physical edge in the PWHL is no an exception, it's become nearly a necessity for success.
When the league was formed, it was unclear what level of body contact would be permitted, but with year two quickly coming to a close, it's clear that the more physical players in the league, are often more successful.
Vanisova drives play not only through her hands, skating, and scoring, but by being a physical presence on the ice.
While the PWHL may choose the more "obvious" names to promote the league like Hilary Knight, Marie-Philip Poulin, or Sarah Fillier, Tereza Vanisova belongs in the conversation for the PHWL's Top Forward and MVP.
