Fratkin Wins Back To Back Defender Of The Year Awards

For Kaleigh Fratkin, good things come in pairs. The Boston Pride assistant captain is the winner of the 2021 NWHL Defender of the Year award after winning the same title last year, becoming the first player to win it twice. 

The scoring leader among Pride players, Fratkin had 9 points in 7 regular season games and tacked on another two in the playoffs. All her points were assists, but the biggest came in the form of a primary assist on Taylor Wenczkowski’s Isobel Cup winning goal. Fratkin also spent the season on the first unit for both the Boston Pride’s power play and penalty kill. Her ability to generate offense anytime she was on the ice cemented her as a true two-way defender. 

Frakin’s performance in season six is a huge reason why the Boston Pride were able to become the first team to win the Isobel Cup twice, repeats being a running theme in the defenders season. In addition to her on-ice performance, Fratkin’s leadership helped a Boston team full of rookies become the most dangerous team in the league. Her accomplishments were well recognized by captain Jillian Dempsey, who made sure to hand off the Isobel Cup to Fratkin first. 

“I think when I was done playing college hockey I didn’t think I’d be continuing playing hockey, quite honestly, I wouldn’t be in the shoes that I’m in now,” Fratkin told NWHL Award host Katie Gaus when asked if she ever thought she would win back to back Defender of the Year titles when she signed in the NWHL. 

Now, it’s hard to imagine a Boston Pride team without Kaleigh Fratkin.