Minnesota Frost Olympians Playing for Gold Medal – The Hockey Writers – PWHL

Many may be waiting for professional hockey to get back underway, but fans of Minnesota hockey have a lot to be excited about in terms of the Olympics, as both the Minnesota Frost and Wild have Olympians playing for medals. What’s even more exciting is that the majority of the Frost players, including their captain Kendall Coyne-Schofield, who are Olympians, get to play for a gold medal as USA takes on Canada for the gold in women’s hockey on Thursday, Feb. 19.

Over the years, Canada and USA have dominated the women’s hockey scene in terms of gold medals, with Canada winning the majority. The last time USA won was in 2018, but this year, they have a solid chance to win it again, as Canada has struggled a bit more than normal this tournament. In this article, we’ll look at the Frost players who are playing for gold on USA and how they’ve done this Olympics. 

Frost’s Dynamic Duo 

The Frost have become a tight group over the three years they’ve been a team, and especially the first two years they won a Walter Cup together. There are two players who are known for being best friends on the team, and that is Taylor Heise and Grace Zumwinkle. They’re almost always together, and that goes for the Olympics as well. 

Heise is known for her efforts with the Frost, as she’s tied for the lead in points with 16, and she’s tried to get that success to translate to the Olympics as well. She hasn’t been quite as successful, but she still has two goals and two assists for four points in six games played. If she can find a way to contribute in the gold medal game, USA could really use it. 

While Heise has found a way to produce, Zumwinkle, on the other hand, has struggled to get on the scoreboard. She has done well with the Frost; she has nine points in 15 games, but for USA, she has just one assist in six games. It’s great that she at least has a point on the board, but against Canada, they’re going to need her to find another step if possible. 

Frost’s Steadfast Players 

While Heise and Zumwinkle are a solid pair, Lee Stecklein and Kelly Pannek are some of the most reliable players the Frost have. They make mistakes every now and then, as every player does, but these two are consistent both defensively and offensively. Pannek is right behind Heise on the Frost’s roster with 15 points, but her points with USA are quite a bit less, with two points in six games. 

Stecklein, the lone defender who made the Olympic team for the Frost, is a more defensive-minded player than offense. She has three points for the Frost in 13 games played, but two points in six games played for USA. She’s a strong player when it comes to defense; she knocks the puck away from opponents and does her best to keep them away from her goaltender.

Both of these players are consistent in their efforts, but USA could really use more from Pannek for offense, and if Stecklein could find another level defensively, that would greatly help USA make it past Canada. Regardless as long as they play consistently, they’ll make an impact.

Frost’s Top Producers

Outside of Heise, there are two others who have 16 points in 15 games, and they are the Frost’s captain, Kendall Coyne-Schofield, and Britta Curl-Salemme. It’s no surprise that Coyne-Schofield is at the top; she leads by example, and she continues to find ways to score. In terms of the Olympics, she hasn’t found the same success, but she does have three points in six games, and they’re all goals. 

Curl may have the same number of points for the Frost as Coyne-Schofield, but she has six points in six games for USA. She’s the highest point producer among the Frost players on USA, and just like her teammates, when they take on Canada, they are going to need her to find the scoring side she’s used so well for the Frost. 

Related: United States Women’s Olympic Hockey: 3 Players to Watch

Out of all the Frost players on USA, they’re going to need their top players in Heise, Coyne-Schofield, and Curl-Salemme to step up and find a way to get their scoring going. Canada is a tough team, even if they’re having an off year, and USA will need everyone prepared if they hope to win the gold medal. It’ll be interesting to see which team steps up and gets the gold, will it be the defending champs or will USA take the gold?