It’s time for another PWHL Minnesota report card, and that means it’s Brittyn Fleming’s turn to have her performance reviewed while some of her teammates, like Taylor Heise and Grace Zumwinkle, still have to wait. She played most of the season, and while she didn’t make a big impact offensively, she didn’t stop trying. She’s a quick player who always had her head on a swivel to know where to be.
In this article, we’ll examine her regular-season and postseason performances to determine her overall grade for the entire season. She wasn’t at the top of the stat sheet but worked behind the scenes like a few of her other teammates. We’ll start with how she did during the regular season and move on from there.
Fleming Works Quietly
Some players work better when they aren’t the center of attention, and one of those players for PWHL Minnesota was Fleming. She wasn’t a scoring machine by any means, but she worked hard outside of the spotlight to help her team in whatever way she could, whether it was with her speedy feet or her physical prowess.
She was good in board battles, and although she struggled a few times to block the puck from going past her, she did well despite the quiet effort and was efficient at breaking the puck out. It was easy to tell when she was on the ice because she skated with a style that made her stick out. She carries a lot of speed, but she could pivot in both directions just as quickly, and it made a difference.
Fleming only scored one goal and assisted on one other for two points throughout her 23-game season. Her minimal points weren’t from lack of trying; however, she had 26 shots on goal she just couldn’t get past the goaltending. She worked hard behind the scenes and, for the regular season that earned her an A-.
She didn’t make a huge impact, but she didn’t stop trying, and that consistent effort helped her get that A-. She contributed some offensively and helped defensively, which were other reasons she deserved her regular-season grade.
Fleming’s Equally Quiet Postseason
Fleming may not have found a way to produce anymore in the postseason, but she did assist on a single goal in the nine games she played. She didn’t get much time on ice but did what she could with it and had six shots on goal, so her offense dropped slightly. However, she did play fewer games.
She continued her work behind the scenes but, unlike others, couldn’t elevate her game to the next level in the postseason. Most of her game stayed the same from the regular season and that included her physical game. She wasn’t hitting everything that moved like some of her teammates, but her handful of hits helped her team.
When looking at her stats and play with everything staying close to the same, so did her grade. She earned another A-, which wasn’t higher because she didn’t up her game like she should during the postseason. However, on the other side, her grade wasn’t any lower because she kept things the same and didn’t drop any of her game significantly. If she hadn’t contributed any points, her grade would’ve been lower, but she did help slightly, which helped her grade.
Fleming’s Overall Grade
After reviewing her regular-season and postseason performances, she earned an A-. She wasn’t a big producer, but her work outside of the spotlight was just as important. It takes an entire team to win it all, and that’s exactly what PWHL Minnesota had, and Fleming was a part of that. She helped both offensively and defensively, which is what every team wants and needs.
Related: PWHL Minnesota Report Cards 2023-24: Brooke Bryant
She didn’t have to be a big producer to make a difference, and although she didn’t get a lot of ice time, she still did whatever she could to help. She was physical and speedy, which is why she earned an A-. As she only signed a one-year deal with PWHL Minnesota she was going to have to find a new team but decided winning the Walter Cup was the perfect time to end her career and announced her retirement in June. Hopefully, she will enjoy her decision and maybe find another position within the hockey community.
