Team USA’s Caroline Harvey, Abbey Murphy, Tessa Janecke named Patty Kazmaier Award finalists

Three American Olympic gold medalists have been named the three finalists for the 2026 Patty Kazmaier Award, given to the best player in women’s college hockey.

On Wednesday, the USA Hockey Foundation announced defender Caroline Harvey (Wisconsin), and forwards Abbey Murphy (Minnesota) and Tessa Janecke (Penn State) as this season’s finalists.

The case for Harvey, the Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) Player and Defender of the Year, is overwhelming. She is the highest-scoring defender in the nation and third among skaters in points, with 61 in 30 games. Harvey’s points-per-game rate (2.01) is second only to Murphy (2.13), a forward.

Harvey also led Team USA to a gold medal at the Milan Cortina Olympics, won tournament MVP and put her masterful skating and offensive skills on display on the biggest stage. But voters are not supposed to consider national team play for the collegiate award.

Harvey was a top-three finalist for the Patty Kaz last season as well — and lost out to teammate and PWHL third-overall pick Casey O’Brien — after she broke Wisconsin’s single-season scoring record by a defender with 63 points. She looks poised to push that mark even further when No. 2 Wisconsin opens its NCAA tournament Saturday. Harvey would be only the third defender to win the Patty Kazmaier Award, joining Ohio State’s Sophie Jaques (2023) and Harvard’s Angela Ruggiero (2004).

After being named a top-10 finalist in three straight seasons, Murphy has advanced to the final three for the first time in her career.

She was recently named WCHA Forward of the Year and is in the stretch run of a historic final season with Minnesota. She set a career high with 38 goals in just 30 games this season and became the leading goal scorer in program history (141).

This season, Murphy leads the nation in goals per game (1.27) and points per game (2.13). She is second in the nation in both categories (64 points in 30 games) but missed eight games representing the U.S. at the Olympic Games. She also led the WCHA with five hat tricks.

Murphy is one of the most unique and dynamic players in women’s hockey, and pulled off one of the nicest assists all season against Minnesota State.

Abbey Murphy with one of the FILTHIEST moves you'll ever see in hockey 😱🤢

(via @GopherWHockey) pic.twitter.com/qtV9BovltG

— Gino Hard (@GinoHard_) January 11, 2026

Janecke is one of the premier centers in women’s college hockey and is the first player in Penn State program history to be named a top-three finalist for the Patty Kazmaier Award.

Led by Janecke, Penn State is in the midst of its winningest season in program history. The Nittany Lions won their fourth straight AHA championship and enter the NCAA tournament as the No. 3 team in the nation, the highest seed ever for the program.

Janecke became Penn State’s all-time scoring leader — for men’s and women’s hockey — last season and has totaled 198 points through 143 games. This season, she led the AHA conference with 45 points in just 29 games and is fourth in the nation in goals per game (0.79). Janecke was also named the AHA Player of the Year for a third-straight season, becoming the first player to do so since the award’s namesake, Meghan Agosta (2007-2009).

The 10 finalists for the award were: forwards Murphy, Janecke, Joy Dunne (Ohio State), Lacey Eden (Wisconsin), Laila Edwards (Wisconsin), Kahlen Lamarche (Quinnipiac), Kirsten Simms (Wisconsin), Issy Wunder (Princeton), defender Harvey and goalie Tia Chan (Connecticut).

NCAA women’s hockey coaches voted on the top 10. The three finalists were selected by a 13-person selection committee made up of coaches, print and broadcast media and a USA Hockey representative.

The 2026 Patty Kazmaier Award winner will be announced on March 21, during the NCAA Frozen Four weekend hosted at Penn State.

Editor’s note: The Athletic’s Hailey Salvian served on the Patty Kazmaier Award selection committee this season.

This article originally appeared in The Athletic.

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