Stuck between a mother country that doesn’t want him and an adopted country in which he feels foreign, international hockey remains complicated for Ilya. An open, festering wound.
The satirical Vesey Awards kind of shoehorned PWHL players into their categories, so I was inspired to create a completely PWHL-focused satire awards. Knock yourselves out and please do not submit more than one survey! Not exclusive to tumblr users, I just happen to be based on tumblr myself. Feel free to share the survey link amongst your PWHL friend groups.
https://forms.gle/xNaszWZXXBQoduN99
THIS SURVEY IS ONLY FOR THE 2025-26 REGULAR SEASON AND POST-SEASON (PLAYOFFS AND FINALS).
Voting closes on June 10, 2026 at 11:59pm EDT. Results will be announced shortly thereafter here on my blog.
Categories and respective nominees below the cut! Most categories also have write-ins.
Most Deserving City That Didn’t Get An Expansion Team
Exactly what it says. If only these cities had gotten an expansion team!
Calgary, Alberta
Denver, Colorado
Halifax, Nova Scotia
Quebec City, Quebec
Chicago, Illinois
Edmonton, Alberta
The Dearly Departed Award
Award for the most missed player that was traded this season or lost in the 2025 expansion draft.
Abby Roque (NY to MTL)
Sophie Jaques (MIN to VAN)
Zoe Boyd (OTT to BOS)
Denisa Křížová (MIN to NY)
The Royale Tiger Towel Paper Towel Power Play Power Through Tough Messes (existing to not existing)
Sarah Nurse (TOR to VAN)
Jessie Eldridge (NY to SEA to BOS)
The Jared Award for Excellence in Refereeing
For the official that made the most infuriating calls of the season.
Jared
Sydney
Jake
Central Situation Room
The "WTF" Coaching and Management Award
Award for the most interesting coaching and management decisions in the league.
Brian Idalski and the Vancouver Goldeneyes
Steve O'Rourke and the Seattle Torrent
Ken Klee and the Minnesota Frost
Troy Ryan and the Toronto Sceptres
Goalie Who Most Deserves A Gun
Which goaltender was forced to endure the most suffering because their team couldn't get it together this season?
Kayle Osborne
Gwyneth Philips
Corinne Schroeder
Aerin Frankel
Raygan Kirk
Emerance Maschmeyer
God's Most Suffering Player
For the player that endured the most suffering this season on this godforsaken bitch of an earth.
Laura Stacey
Gwyneth Philips
Hilary Knight
Alex Carpenter
Ad Break of the Year
Sorry to the Canadians who can't watch the streams on Youtube.
DVD Corner Bounce
Gay Time Check
Catch Me Catch Me
Jincy Roese Debut Single
The "Which Could Mean Nothing" Partnership Award
Awarded to the best duos and groups of friends in the league. Which could mean nothing.
Kenzie Lalonde and Cheryl Pounder
Laura Stacey, Marie-Philip Poulin, and Abby Roque
Emma Buckles and Catherine Dubois
The Entire Seattle Torrent
The Kristýna Kaltounková Most Overly-Penalized Player Award
Named in honor of Kristýna Kaltounková having the most ever penalty minutes for a rookie in her first PWHL season (45 PIM).
Rory Guilday
Kristýna Kaltounková
Abby Roque
Emma Maltais
Laura Stacey
Taylor Girard
The "Stop That, You Can Text Her After The Game" Award for Most Egregious Checking
For physicality that makes you go, "Why are you doing that???"
Jocelyne Larocque and Renata Fast WWE Super Slam
Brooke Bryant falling on top of Abbey Levy
Micah Zandee-Hart and Laura Stacey Skate Lace Entanglement
Jill Saulnier pushing down Ann-Renée Desbiens
The Prudential Center Clown Fan Clown Hockey Moment of the Year
For the most ridiculous moments on the ice, named in honor of the New York Sirens fan that dresses up like a clown, tumblr user @newyorksirens.
Danielle Serdachny sliding into an empty net, scoring a goal
Gwyneth Philips Beyblade
Emily Clark losing her skate blade and being pushed to the bench
Abby Roque scoring with her face
TD Place Arena Ice Hole
Ann-Renée Desbiens Ladder Assist
Lesbians' Choice Award
Who do the lesbians (and other queer PWHL fans) love the most?
Hilary Knight
Zoe Boyd
Laura Stacey
Carly "CJ" Jackson
Abby Roque
Kristýna Kaltounková
Catherine Dubois
Fight of the Year
Kristýna Kaltounková vs. the entire Ottawa Charge
Abby Roque vs. Britta Curl playoff scrum
Montreal Victoire vs. New York Sirens line brawl (feat. Kayle Osborne)
Megan Keller vs. Laura Stacey
Boston Fleet vs. Toronto Sceptres line brawl (feat. Frankel & Tapani hug)
Jill Saulnier vs. Tereza Vanišová rematch
Quote of the Year
"I think I peed a little." - Marie-Philip Poulin
"How can you not be romantic about hockey?" - Eric Gallanty
On the subject of AI, I have a confession to make: I use it. Not to write for me, but to help me check for inconsistencies, to brainstorm ideas, to write outlines, to give me a couple of lines when I've been stuck for hours, to be my beta reader, if you will. Generative AI is bad? Yes, but it also a useful tool if one isn't lazy. I don't ask: write me a story. I go with my story and ask: help me with continuity. Look, this paragraph is clunky, how do I make it better? The demonization of generative AI is fair, but to be honest, I also understand people who use it. Maybe they're afraid of writing themselves, maybe they're insecure and don't trust their prose. Maybe they have brilliannt ideas but they need help to make them become fics.
To me, this is very much connected to my last ask where I was talking about how we don't have enough mentors in fandom to support the influx of people entering it.
All of the things that you're asking AI to do used to be done by a beta reader (or more than one!). A fandom friend (or even a random stranger who volunteered) would read through your work and help you with those issues.
Betas are amazing. They can help with grammar and spelling. They can regionalize language. They can provide sensitivity reading if they're from a marginalized community that you're writing about and aren't a member of. They can track canon, help with research, even just be a sounding board to discuss ideas with.
And sometimes, they're just a cheer reader - someone reading your story and telling you how awesome it is because they love it just as much as you do.
I understand turning to AI if you 1) don't know beta readers exist or 2) don't know how to obtain one. The need for that kind of support doesn't go away just because you can't access it.
But for anyone out there who needs this kind of help and wants to avoid Gen AI, you can write a post on your blog, add it to an author's note, check out resources like @needabeta or - if the time of year is right and you have the funds - place a bid on beta reading services during @fandomtrumpshate
Beta readers are often involved in fandom events like big bangs and exchanges, and if anyone is looking to host such an event, it's a great way to get people involved who aren't writers or artists but would love to help out.
I get it, anon. We use the tools that are available to us. But here's another potential tool if you're interested in branching out?
Sometimes it's scary to post a message asking for beta readers, you are putting yourself out there, you have no idea who might respond to your message (if anyone at all) and nowadays a lot of bots are muddying the waters.
I definitely recommend searching a beta reader within the fandom you're writing for rather than someone who knows nothing about it.
And when you don't immediately get a response, ask again. This comes from a person (me) who is now two and a half years into dating the girl who replied to my 'I need a beta reader' post that I was debating to reblog that day.
Sometimes I wonder where our lives would be if I hadn't reblogged it or if she had skipped past the post.
Fandom is a community of people with shared interests. It's supposed to make it easier for us to become friends, hang out and talk for hours.
Not a single AI tool in the world is capable of giving (fandom) writers/artists/creators what they actually need.
AND: betas who like beta-ing (and are good at it) are flattered when you ask us!
The best way to find good betas is to look at your favorite fics. If they have a beta, and the beta has their own AO3 profile or tumblr, consider reaching out to them!
A good beta request message do two things:
1. Recognize the past work the beta has done (eg “[fic title] has some of the best characterization and the author mentioned that you played a big role helping them with that”)
2. Ask for what kind of help you’re looking for: spag only, cheerleading, help with continuity or characterization or pacing or whatever! (eg “I’m looking for a beta who can help me make sure the emotional beats are landing.”)
Boom! At the very least you'll have made someone's day. Even better, maybe you've just gotten yourself a beta. Maybe even possibly, you've just made a friend of life.
i was tagged by @flawlessassholes this book tag game!
the last book I read: The Gate of the Feral Gods by Matt Dinniman (Dungeon Crawler Carl Book #4). The DnD girlie in me is obsessed.
a book I'd recommend: Woodworking by Emily St. James. Abigail, the only out trans person in her South Dakota high school, definitely doesn't want to spend her senior year helping her teacher -- of all people -- start her transition. And yet...
a book I couldn't put down: Yellowface by R.F. Kuang. This book is like watching a car crash in slow motion.
a book I've read twice or more: All of the OG Hunger Games Books. Hands down, the best of the early millennium YA dystopia boom.
a book on my tbr: The Unruly Heart of Miss Darcy by Erin Edwards. A sapphic reimagining of Georgiana Darcy from Pride and Prejudice.
a book I've put down: SO MANY! I DNF liberally. Most recently The Oleander Sword by Tasha Suri. I loved the first book in this series, but the sequel has our main characters separated and stagnant. I love my fantasy political, but in this case the politics kind of overtook everything else.
a book on my wishlist: Angel Down by Daniel Kraus, this year's Pulitzer winner.
a favorite book from childhood: A Long Way From Chicago by Richard Peck.
a book I'd give to a friend: Depends on the friend!
a book of poetry or lyrics that I own: Deaf Republic by Ilya Kaminsky. A town is taken over by fascists and in response the residents all become deaf. Poems about language and power. Very cool!
a nonfiction book that I own: The Riddle of the Labyrinth: The Quest to Crack an Ancient Code by Margalit Fox. About the decipherment of the ancient Cretan script Linear B!
what I'm currently reading: 1. The Butcher's Masquerade (Dungeon Crawler Carl Book #5) 2. Sky Daddy by Kate Folk (for book club) and 3. Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid (on audiobook)
what I'm planning on reading next: Julie Chan is Dead by Liann Zhang. Is there a good influencer novel? Yesteryear CERTAINLY wasn't it. Maybe this one will actually say something we don't already know.
tagging @hilarynights @nest-of-shiny-things @winterequinoxx @paperowl @vegas2014 and anyone else who wants to participate!
personal hc that one of the hollanov kids loves hockey but it's just not clicking even though they practice all the time and shane and ilya both try different coaching methods with them and it only makes everyone more frustrated and then one day wyatt comes to the rink with them and after 1.5 seconds on-ice he's like "hey i think they're a goalie" and shane and ilya nearly black out because oh. ohhh my god. they're kid is totally, completely, a goalie. and that's why it wasn't fucking working. they have a fucking goalie.
Hi! I am quite new to the pwhl, what is the backstory behind Troy Ryan? Thanks and I love your blog
There’s been some long simmering frustration from fans towards Ryan, both as coach in toronto and as coach of team canada. Comments about leaving players to draw up their own special teams, the lack of adaptability to challenges the team has faced. Sorry if this is vague, Toronto isn’t one of #myteams so I’m blanking on an itemized list of his sins. I’m sure some helpful Toronto fans will comment though 😁
In terms of his SJ hiring I’ll say again my main beef is that he should not hold both the GM position and the head coach position. That’s not appropriate at the pro level.
Part of the beef with him as team Canada coach has been his seeming unwillingness to mentor and grow young players in the national team context. Canada took 0 NCAA players to the Olympics, for instance.
The ability to develop younger players is essential to the continued growth of any professional sports team, even more so in a league without a system of lower leagues that’ll do that for you (like farm teams). Troy Ryan seems to have neither the skill nor desire to do so, which makes him a poor head coach and an especially poor choice for GM (let alone both).
A mediocre man once again failing upward. We hate to see it.
nhl goalie problems: like 3 teams have a legit great goalie. league sv% below .900 for the first time in a william years. every goalie streaky and prone to suddenly throwing a series.
pwhl goalie problems: every team has three goalies who should be starters. worst GAA in the league would be middle of the pack in the nhl. nobody can score a fucking goal bc they're all brick walls.