Two Western Collegiate Hockey Association student-athletes were named top-three finalists for the 2026 Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award, announced today by The USA Hockey Foundation as Minnesota's Abbey Murphy and Wisconsin's Caroline Harvey are up for the honor. 

The winner of the 2026 Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award will be announced on Saturday, March 21, at 11:30 AM CT as part of a live show on the NHL Network at the HUB-Robeson Center on the campus of Penn State University.

The honor, which was first presented in 1998, is awarded annually to the top player in NCAA Division I Women’s Ice Hockey by The USA Hockey Foundation. The WCHA is home to 10 previous Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award recipients, including Wisconsin's Casey O'Brien, who won the honor last season. 

Click here for the full list of finalists. for the full release. 

ABOUT THE FINALISTS
Abbey Murphy, Gr., Minnesota (Evergreen Park, Ill.)
Minnesota's Abbey Murphy was named the 2026 WCHA Forward of the Year. Murphy leads the nation in points per game (2.13) and goals per game (1.27). Murphy recorded 25 goals and 15 assists in 22 conference games this season with the Gophers and was crowned a gold medalist with Team USA at the 2026 Winter Olympics. The Evergreen Park, Illinois, native also became Minnesota's all-time leading goal scorer two games ago, surpassing Nadine Muzerall, as she now sits at 141 in her career. Murphy claimed two WCHA Forward of the Month honors and two HCA National Forward of the Month awards this season. She also claimed the most WCHA Forward of the Week honors of any forward with five. The Gopher forward currently ranks second in the NCAA among all skaters with 64 points (38g, 26a) this season. 

Caroline Harvey, Sr., Wisconsin (Salem, N.H)
The 2026 WCHA Player and Defender of the Year, Caroline Harvey, currently leads all defenders nationally in points (61), goals (18), and assists (43). Harvey also leads the nation in assists per game (2.03). Harvey led all WCHA defenders in league play with 45 points (14g, 31a) as she appeared in 21 conference games after competing for Team USA and winning gold at the 2026 Winter Olympics. The Badger blueliner claimed six WCHA Defender of the Week honors and four WCHA Defender of the Month honors, both of which were the most of any defender in the league. 

SELECTION PROCESS 
The selection process commenced in early February when NCAA Division I women's ice hockey coaches were asked to nominate players for the award. Players who were nominated by multiple coaches were then placed on an official ballot, which was returned to the coaches to vote for the ten finalists. The three finalists, including the recipient of the 2026 Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award, will be chosen by a 13-person selection committee made up of NCAA Division I women's ice hockey coaches, representatives of print and broadcast media, and an at-large member and representative of USA Hockey, the national governing body for the sport of ice hockey in the United States.

ABOUT THE PATTY KAZMAIER MEMORIAL AWARD 
An award of The USA Hockey Foundation, the Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award is annually presented to the top player in NCAA Division I women's ice hockey. Selection criteria includes outstanding individual and team skills, sportsmanship, performance in the clutch, personal character, competitiveness and a love of hockey. Consideration is also given to academic achievement and civic involvement. For a full list of previous honorees, click HERE.

ABOUT PATTY KAZMAIER 
The Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award is named in honor of the late Patty Kazmaier, who was a four-year varsity letter-winner and All-Ivy League defenseman at Princeton University from 1981-86. An accomplished athlete who helped lead the Tigers to the Ivy League Championship in three consecutive seasons (1981-84), Patty Kazmaier-Sandt died Feb. 15, 1990, at the age of 28 following a long struggle with a rare blood disease.

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