PWHL Stars of the Month – April Stars Honored

Today the Professional Women’s Hockey League announced their Starting Six of the Month for the month of April 2026.

Jessie Eldridge (F – BOS)

Eldridge made an impact for the Fleet down the stretch, producing in five of six games in April while recording three multi-point efforts. She tied for second among all skaters with nine points, notching six goals and three assists, with her six goals also tied for the most in the month. The 28-year-old forward added a game winner and two power-play tallies in April, becoming the PWHL’s all-time leader in power-play goals (10). Eldridge’s late-season surge propelled her to finish as the Fleet’s leading scorer with 23 points, tied-for-fifth across the league, while her 14 goals were tied for second overall. Acquired from Seattle on March 30, she quickly became a central piece of Boston’s offense, finishing the season as one of just nine players to reach 60 career PWHL points.

Gardiner surged in April, tying for second among all skaters with nine points in seven games, fueled by six goals and three assists. The forward recorded nearly half of her season production during the month, finishing second in team scoring. Her stretch was highlighted by a historic performance on April 18 against Seattle, when she became the first player in PWHL history to score four goals in a single game. Gardiner’s third goal completed a dramatic comeback before she added the overtime winner, delivering one of the league’s most memorable moments of the season. The 24-year-old’s play down the stretch helped Vancouver secure the first overall pick in the 2026 PWHL Entry Draft through the Gold Plan and capped a campaign where she set new career highs with 19 points, recording nine goals and 10 assists.

Pannek continued her standout season with another strong showing in April, earning a spot in the Starting Six for a third-straight month. She co-led all skaters with 10 points, recording four goals and six assists across seven games while hitting the scoresheet in five of those outings. The veteran forward became the first player in PWHL history to reach the 30-point mark in a single regular season, finishing the campaign with 33 points, and also led the league with 16 goals. Her month was highlighted by a four-point performance on April 4 against Vancouver, tying the league’s single-game point record with two power-play goals and two assists. The 30-year-old capped off her regular season by joining the 60-point club for her career, doing so with an assist in the last game of the campaign. Beyond points, Pannek was a force in the faceoff circle, winning 66% of her draws in April.

Gosling continued her strong rookie campaign with a second-straight selection to the Starting Six, delivering eight points in April on one goal and seven assists. She closed the month on a six-game point streak, highlighted by a career-high three-assist performance on April 21 against Vancouver. The 24-year-old defender also made her mark on special teams, recording three power-play assists in April and finishing the season second in the league with seven. Her biggest moment came in a pivotal matchup against Boston, when she scored an overtime, power-play winner in a battle between the league’s top two teams. Gosling’s consistent production down the stretch solidified her place among the league’s top rookies, finishing tied for second in rookie scoring with 19 points while ranking second in assists with 16 — a total that placed her sixth overall among all skaters.

Jaques delivered a dominant April from the blue line, co-leading all players with 10 points while recording three goals and seven assists across seven games. She fired 25 shots on goal during the month and produced in five of seven games, including two three-point performances and an additional two-point outing. She capped off the campaign by scoring the overtime game-winner on April 25 in Vancouver’s regular-season finale — a pivotal moment that helped secure the first overall pick for the Goldeneyes through the Gold Plan. That goal marked her ninth of the season, making her the first defender in PWHL history to reach the milestone. Jaques also tied the league’s single-game record for shots by a skater with 10 in one game, becoming the first blue liner to reach that mark. She finished the season with 20 points, standing as the lone defender to lead her team in scoring, and became the first blue liner to hit 50 career points.

Desbiens was sensational in April, leading all goaltenders across every major category while backstopping Montréal to a first-place regular-season finish. In five starts, she posted a perfect 5-0 record — all in regulation — allowing just four total goals across the month. The 32-year-old recorded two shutouts, alongside a 0.79 goals-against average and a .965 save percentage, all of which ranked first among netminders in April. Her dominant stretch capped off a record-breaking regular season for the veteran goaltender. Desbiens set new single-season league benchmarks with a 1.11 goals-against average and a .955 save percentage, while tying the league record with 19 wins and finishing second all-time with seven shutouts. In 62 career regular-season games, Desbiens leads all goaltenders in career wins (41), save percentage (.938) and goals-against average (1.66).

*All Graphics and Pictures courtesy of the PWHL.

*Player Profiles written by PWHL Staff.

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