View source for IIHF Female Player of the Year

The '''IIHF Female Player of the Year''' award is given out annually by the [[International Ice Hockey Federation]] (IIHF), in recognition of the [[ice hockey]] player who "best exemplifies exceptional skill, determination, team success, and sporting character on and off the ice during the preceding season."<ref name=IIHF2023>{{cite web|title=Hilary Knight wins the inaugural IIHF Female Player of the Year Award |url=https://www.iihf.com/en/news/45458/hilary_knight_wins_the_inagural_iihf_female_player|last=Podnieks|first=Andrew|author-link=Andrew Podnieks|publisher=[[International Ice Hockey Federation]]|access-date=June 19, 2023|date=June 1, 2023}}</ref> It is selected by a panel of media and IIHF representatives drawn from among the member states of the International Ice Hockey Federation.<ref>{{cite web|title=Canada's Connor Bedard honored as IIHF's first male player of the year|url=https://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/article/canadas-connor-bedard-honored-as-iihfs-first-male-player-of-the-year/|website=[[Sportsnet]]|access-date=June 19, 2023|date=June 19, 2023}}</ref>

In order to be eligible, a player must have competed in at least one of three IIHF tournaments (the Winter Olympics, IIHF World Women's Championship, or IIHF World Women's U18 Championship) as well as in a national domestic league "of the highest caliber for that country," with "the combined performances of which were deemed superior to all other players."<ref name=IIHF2023/>

It was first awarded in 2023, along with its counterpart, the [[IIHF Male Player of the Year]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Bedard named IIHF Male Player of the Year
|url=https://www.iihf.com/en/news/47473/bedard_named_iihf_male_player_of_the_year|last=Podnieks|first=Andrew|author-link=Andrew Podnieks|publisher=[[International Ice Hockey Federation]]|access-date=June 19, 2023|date=June 19, 2023}}</ref> [[Hilary Knight]], of the United States national team and the PWHPA's Team Sonnet, was the inaugural recipient.<ref>{{cite web|title=USA's Hilary Knight is 1st IIHF Female Player of the Year|url=https://www.espn.com/nhl/story/_/id/37773525/usa-hilary-knight-1st-iihf-female-player-year|last=Wyshynski|first=Greg|publisher=ESPN|access-date=June 19, 2023|date=June 1, 2023}}</ref>

==Winners==
{|class="wikitable sortable"
! Year !! Winner !! National Team !! Club !! Ref
|-
| 2023 
| [[Hilary Knight]]
| {{flagicon|USA}} [[United States women's national ice hockey team|United States]]
| Team Sonnet (PWHPA)
| <ref name=IIHF2023/>
|-
|}

==See also==
* [[IIHF Male Player of the Year]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [https://www.iihf.com/en/home International Ice Hockey Federation]

{{IIHF}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:IIHF Female Player Of The Year}}
[[Category:International Ice Hockey Federation]]

{{Wikipedia}}