Aerin Frankel

Aerin Frankel Bio

Aerin Jordan Frankel is an American professional ice hockey goaltender for the Boston Fleet of the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) and a member of the United States women’s national ice hockey team. She is a two-time IIHF Women’s World Championship gold medalist (2023 and 2025) and a silver medalist from 2024, having served as Team USA’s primary goaltender at three consecutive World Championships. She is also a two-time recipient of the WHCA National Goalie of the Year award and the 2021 winner of the Patty Kazmaier Award, given to the top player in NCAA Division I women’s ice hockey.

Early Life and Background

Aerin Jordan Frankel was born on May 24, 1999, in Briarcliff Manor, New York. She is the daughter of Deborah and Peter Frankel and has an older brother named Jake, and the family is Jewish. Her mother brought her to the ice at age four, where she learned to skate, and she originally played as a skater before transitioning to goaltender at age nine after realizing she would never have to leave the ice if she played in goal.

From elementary school through high school, Frankel competed on boys’ club teams, a common route for girls seeking elite competition. She also played soccer in elementary school, softball in middle school, and lacrosse in high school, but her focus remained on hockey. She initially attended Horace Greeley High School in Chappaqua, New York, before transferring to Shattuck-Saint Mary’s preparatory school in Faribault, Minnesota, as a sophomore, where she excelled in the school’s elite hockey program.

At Shattuck-Saint Mary’s, Frankel won three national titles (one U-16 and two U-19) and posted 106 wins, a 1.10 goals-against average, a .945 save percentage, and 39 shutouts, graduating with high honors. The transition to boarding school was difficult at first, but the elite level of competition helped shape her into one of the most decorated young goaltenders in the country.

Path to Hockey

Frankel’s path to NCAA hockey began at Shattuck-Saint Mary’s, where her coach’s recommendation caught the attention of Northeastern University head coach Dave Flint. Despite standing just 5 feet 5 inches tall, a size that discouraged many recruiters, Flint offered her a roster spot, and Frankel chose Northeastern because she felt wanted by the program.

She arrived in 2017 and immediately became the Huskies’ starting goaltender, posting a 10–8–2 record with a 1.92 goals-against average and a .934 save percentage in 22 games during her freshman season, leading all NCAA rookies in save percentage. She backstopped Northeastern to its first Hockey East title in program history with 30 saves against UConn on March 4, 2018, and was named Northeastern’s Top Female Newcomer at the university’s Top Dog Awards.

Over the next four seasons, Frankel developed into one of the most decorated goaltenders in NCAA history. She was a three-time Hockey East Goaltender of the Year (2019, 2020, 2021) and Hockey East co-Player of the Year in 2021 alongside Alina Müller, building the résumé that would eventually carry her to the Patty Kazmaier Award and the inaugural WHCA National Goalie of the Year honor.

Aerin Frankel Career

Collegiate Career (2017–2022)

In her sophomore season at Northeastern, Frankel posted a 21–4–3 record with a 1.81 GAA and a .932 save percentage, opening the year with a 28-save shutout at Boston University on October 5, 2018, becoming the first Northeastern goaltender to shutout the Terriers since Florence Schelling in 2011. She won Hockey East Tournament MVP for the second consecutive season, leading Northeastern to back-to-back conference championships, and was named Hockey East Goaltender of the Month and Player of the Month in October 2018.

In her senior and alternate captain season of 2020–21, Frankel led Northeastern to a 22–2–1 record, the program’s first No. 1 national ranking, its fourth straight Hockey East title, and its first Frozen Four appearance. She set an NCAA record with a .969 save percentage and led the nation in every major goaltending category, including a 0.81 GAA, 20 wins, and nine shutouts. On March 27, 2021, she was named the recipient of the 2021 Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award, becoming the fourth goaltender in history to win the award, and the unanimous inaugural winner of the WHCA National Goalie of the Year Award.

Frankel returned for a fifth season as a graduate student in 2021–22, taking advantage of the NCAA’s COVID-19 eligibility relief. She posted a 1.06 GAA and a .956 save percentage, recording an NCAA-leading 25 wins and a career-best 11 shutouts, vaulting her into first place in the NCAA record book for career women’s hockey wins with 103. She helped Northeastern reach the NCAA Tournament for a second consecutive year and became the back-to-back winner of the WHCA National Goalie of the Year Award, the only player to receive the award in its first two years of existence, finishing her career holding Northeastern records in games played, minutes played, GAA, save percentage, shutouts, and wins.

Professional Career: PWHPA and PWHL Boston (2022–Present)

Following her graduate year, Frankel joined the Professional Women’s Hockey Players Association (PWHPA) for the 2022–23 season, playing for Team Adidas in the Dream Gap Tour. She made her professional debut on October 16, 2022, in Montreal, and posted a stellar .937 save percentage across her first professional campaign, earning player of the game honors after a shutout on December 10, 2022, in Ottawa.

On September 7, 2023, Frankel became one of the first three players signed by PWHL Boston, agreeing to a three-year contract alongside Megan Keller and Hilary Knight. During the inaugural PWHL season, she posted an 8–6–2 record in 18 games with a .929 save percentage and a 2.00 goals-against average, recording her first PWHL shutout on February 25, 2024, against Minnesota with 41 saves, and was named a Second Team All-Star.

Frankel’s 2024 playoff performance was historic. She set a PWHL playoff record with 53 saves in a semifinal Game 1 against Montreal, then broke her own record two days later with 57 saves in a triple-overtime victory. Boston swept Montreal in three straight overtime games, with Frankel making 142 saves while allowing only four goals in the series. She led all playoff goaltenders in minutes played (580:58), saves (286), save percentage (.953), and goals-against average (1.45), earning the nickname “Green Monster” from Boston fans and media. Boston ultimately lost the Walter Cup Finals to Minnesota in five games.

Boston Fleet Era (2023–Present)

On January 31, 2025, Frankel became the first goaltender in PWHL history to record 1,000 saves during Boston’s 3–2 shootout victory over the New York Sirens. She finished the 2024–25 regular season with 12 wins and a .921 save percentage, but Boston narrowly missed the playoffs after she missed time recovering from an injury suffered in the 2025 World Championship gold medal game. She was again named a finalist for the PWHL Goaltender of the Year award, and on August 4, 2025, she signed a two-year contract extension keeping her in Boston through the 2027–28 season.

Frankel began the 2025–26 season in dominant form, helping the Boston Fleet open with a perfect 7–0–0 record while posting three shutouts, a 0.45 goals-against average, and a .985 save percentage through the first seven games. On December 3, 2025, she recorded a 21-save shutout in a 2–0 victory over the Vancouver Goldeneyes. She finished the regular season with eight shutouts and a .953 save percentage, earning the Billie Jean King MVP Award and Goaltender of the Year honors before being protected by Boston ahead of the 2026 PWHL Expansion Draft.

Driving Style and Strengths

At 5 feet 5 inches, Frankel relies on technique, anticipation, and lateral quickness rather than size to dominate the crease. Boston coach Courtney Kessel has repeatedly praised her ability to make huge saves despite her smaller frame, calling her “the Green Monster” during the 2024 Finals, and Frankel has built her game around tracking the puck cleanly, controlling rebounds, and outworking opposing shooters through angles and positioning.

Notable Events and Milestones

Frankel became the first U.S. women’s goaltender to start five consecutive games at an Olympics or World Championship in 26 years during the 2023 IIHF Women’s World Championship, and she was later part of the first U.S. women’s World Championship team to go undefeated in a tournament since 2019. She also became the first American goaltender to record a shutout against Canada at the Olympics during the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics, on February 10, 2026.

Aerin Frankel International Career

Frankel made her senior American national team debut at the 2019–20 Rivalry Series, picking up her first senior international win in December 2019. She was named to the American roster for the 2020 IIHF Women’s World Championship before the tournament was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and she later served as Team USA’s primary goaltender at three consecutive World Championships from 2023 to 2025.

On January 2, 2026, she was named to Team USA’s roster for the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milano Cortina, where she went 5–0 with a 0.39 goals-against average and a .980 save percentage, setting a tournament record with three shutouts. In the gold medal game, Frankel earned the start and helped the United States defeat Canada 2–1 in overtime to claim Olympic gold.

Aerin Frankel Career Wins

NCAA Highlights

Frankel finished her Northeastern University career as the program’s all-time leader in games played (105), minutes played (6,172), goals-against average (1.37), save percentage (.947), shutouts (28), and wins (103), the latter also an NCAA women’s hockey record. She helped Northeastern win four consecutive Hockey East championships and reach the 2021 NCAA championship game, where she made 35 saves in a 2–1 overtime loss to Wisconsin.

PWHL Highlights

Across the PWHL’s first three seasons, Frankel has been a perennial award finalist, earning Second Team All-Star honors in 2024 and First Team All-Star honors in 2026, while finishing as a finalist for Goaltender of the Year in both 2024 and 2025. She set the league’s all-time saves record during the 2024–25 season and led the Boston Fleet to the Walter Cup Finals in the league’s inaugural year, setting multiple playoff records along the way.

International Highlights

Frankel backstopped Team USA to gold medals at the 2023 and 2025 IIHF Women’s World Championships, a silver medal at the 2024 IIHF Women’s World Championship, and Olympic gold at the 2026 Winter Olympics. She was the primary goaltender in three consecutive World Championship finals and recorded a shutout in the 2026 Olympic gold medal game against Canada.

Aerin Frankel Family

Family Background and Racing Lineage

Aerin Frankel is the daughter of Deborah and Peter Frankel and has an older brother, Jake. The Frankel family is Jewish, and Aerin grew up in Briarcliff Manor, New York, where she first learned to skate at age four and began playing knee hockey with her brother and cousins before transitioning to organized hockey.

Personal Life

Frankel studied criminal justice and psychology at Northeastern University. She is well known for her love of Caesar salads and has run a “passion project” Instagram account, @painbyromaine, since 2024, where she rates Caesar salads she has tried. On April 3, 2026, she threw a first pitch at the New York Yankees home opener against the Miami Marlins alongside men’s national team player Jack Hughes.

2026 Season Performance

Aerin Frankel is currently playing out the 2025–26 PWHL season under a contract extension signed in August 2025 that runs through the 2027–28 season. She opened the year by helping the Boston Fleet begin 7–0–0 and quickly established herself as the early favorite for the league’s top individual honors, ultimately winning the Billie Jean King MVP Award and Goaltender of the Year for her .953 save percentage, 1.17 goals-against average, and eight regular-season shutouts.

Despite Frankel’s dominant regular season, Boston was eliminated in the PWHL semifinals by the Ottawa Charge, ending her team’s defense of a championship run that began with the Walter Cup Finals appearance in 2024. She was protected by Boston ahead of the 2026 PWHL Expansion Draft, ensuring she will remain with the Fleet as the league grows to include new franchises.

Frankel followed her club season by serving as Team USA’s starting goaltender at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milano Cortina, going 5–0 with a 0.39 GAA, a .980 save percentage, and a tournament-record three shutouts en route to Olympic gold. She is expected to enter the 2026–27 PWHL season as the unquestioned starter in Boston and as one of the leading goaltenders in international women’s hockey.