Minnesota Frost to Host 7 Rings Celebration Game
PWHL Minnesota Frost

Minnesota Frost to Host 7 Rings Celebration Game

Published on January 27, 2026 under Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL)
Minnesota Frost News Release


ST. PAUL, MN - The Minnesota Frost will host a special Frost 7 Rings Celebration to honor the defending two-time Walter Cup Champions and send off PWHL Olympians in the final game before the ‚ Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026. The celebration takes place tomorrow, Jan. 28 at 8:00 p.m. CT, as the Frost host the Vancouver Goldeneyes at Grand Casino Arena. Throughout the evening, the Frost are hosting a food drive and invite fans to bring donations to support the Twin Cities community.

As the Frost host the Goldeneyes for the first time, the organization welcomes back members of the 2024-25 Walter Cup winning team and will present the recipients with their championship rings: players Mellissa Channell-Watkins, Sophie Jaques and Claire Thompson, and Strength and Conditioning Coach Shannon MacAuley. All players from the 2024-25 Frost Championship team will be recognized prior to the start of the game.

The Olympic send-off features eight Frost players headed to Milano Cortina 2026, including six Americans - more than any other PWHL team. Minnesota captain Kendall Coyne Schofield, alternate captains Lee Stecklein and Kelly Pannek and players Grace Zumwinkle, Britta Curl-Salemme and Taylor Heise prepare to represent the United States, while Klára Hymlárová and Denisa Křížová suit up for Czechia. On the Goldeneyes, eight players are Olympic-bound: Jenn Gardiner (CAN), Jaques (CAN), Emerance Maschmeyer (CAN), Sarah Nurse (CAN), Thompson (CAN), Tereza Vanišová (CZE), Michelle Karvinen (FIN) and Nina Jobst-Smith (GER).

In response to increased need in our community, the Minnesota Frost are proud to partner with The Food Group to help support neighbors across the Twin Cities and Minnesota. Throughout the evening, fans are invited to bring non-perishable food items as they're able, with collection bins available at all entrances of the Grand Casino Arena. Monetary donations are also welcome by visiting https://give.mn/ordbcf.

As part of the celebration festivities, the night will feature a bobblehead giveaway of the Frost's own soon-to-be four-time Olympian, Lee Stecklein. The giveaway will be available to the first 4,000 fans at the Grand Casino Arena.

Minnesota Frost Players Named to Olympic Winter Games Rosters:

Team USA

Kendall Coyne Schofield (F) - Coyne Schofield will compete in her fourth Olympic Games having previously won gold in 2018 (Pyeongchang) and silver in 2014 (Sochi) and 2022 (Beijing). The Palos Heights, Ill. native has been a member of the U.S. Women's National Team in 11 International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) Women's World Championships (gold: 2011, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2019, 2025; silver: 2012, 2021, 2022, 2024).

Lee Stecklein (D) - Stecklein joins Coyne Schofield as a four-time Olympian (2014, 2018, 2022). The Roseville, Minn. native's national team career is marked by nine appearances in the IIHF Women's World Championships, winning seven gold (2013, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2019, 2023, 2025) and two silver (2021, 2022) medals.

Kelly Pannek (F) - Pannek will make her third Olympic appearance, having competed in 2018 and 2022 with Coyne Schofield and Stecklein. The Plymouth, Minn. native has participated in seven IIHF Women's World Championships (gold: 2017, 2019, 2023, 2025; silver: 2021, 2022, 2024).

Grace Zumwinkle (F) - Zumwinkle will make her second Olympic appearance for Team USA, having previously earned silver in the 2022 Beijing Games. The Excelsior, Minn. native is a three-time member of the U.S. Women's National Team at the IIHF Women's World Championships (gold: 2025; silver: 2021, 2022).

Britta Curl-Salemme (F) - Curl-Salemme, a Bismark, ND native, will be making her Olympic debut. The Bismark, ND native is the third Peace Garden State representative to Team USA and has four previous appearances in the IIHF World Championships (gold: 2023, 2025; silver: 2021, 2024).

Taylor Heise (F) - Heise will join Curl-Salemme as a debut Olympian, having previously competed in four IIHF World Championships (gold: 2023, 2025; silver: 2021, 2024).

The Frost will also be represented on the bench by Head Athletic Trainer Katie Homan (Coldwater, Ohio) making her third Olympic appearance (2018, 2022) and Head Equipment Manager Sis Paulsen (Eau Claire, Wisc.) making her second appearance (2022).

Team Czechia

Denisa Křížová (F) - Křížová will compete in her second Olympics, previously having been selected to the Czech Republic's 2022 Olympic Team that earned a seventh overall finish at the Beijing Games in the federation's debut at the Winter Games. In their first game of the tournament, the Horní Cerekev native scored the Czech women's second-ever Olympic goal that helped propel them to a 3-1 victory over China in pool play.

Klára Hymlárová (F) - Hymlárová joins her fellow Czech teammate in making her second Olympic appearance in Milan. The Opava native was Czechia's second leading scorer at the IIHF Women's Olympic Qualification Tournament, where she tallied three goals and three assists in three games as Team Czechia qualified for their first Olympics in team history.

For more information on upcoming Minnesota Frost games - and to purchase tickets - please visit thepwhl.com/Minnesota-Frost/tickets.

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