Six Minnesota Frost Skaters Named to 2026 USA Hockey Women's Olympic Ice Hockey Team
PWHL Minnesota Frost

Six Minnesota Frost Skaters Named to 2026 USA Hockey Women's Olympic Ice Hockey Team

Published on January 2, 2026 under Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL)
Minnesota Frost News Release


St. Paul, MN - USA Hockey announced today that Minnesota Frost skaters Kendall Coyne Schofield (F), Lee Stecklein (D), Kelly Pannek (F), Grace Zumwinkle (F), Britta Curl-Salemme (F) and Taylor Heise (F) have been named to the United States Olympic Women's Ice Hockey Team set to compete in the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Games. The Frost's six-skater contingent will be the largest in the Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL).

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). Coyne Schofield currently leads the PWHL with seven goals in eight games and sits second overall in scoring with nine points (7G, 2A).

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.

Pannek will make her third Olympic appearance in February, 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). Pannek's eight points this season (3g, 5A) are tied for third in the PWHL.

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). Zumwinkle was awarded the league's first-ever Rookie of the Year honors after a stellar 19-point (11G, 8A) rookie campaign in the inaugural 2024 PWHL season.

Bismark, ND native Curl-Salemme will be making her Olympic debut in Milano Cortina and joins former Team USA skaters Jocelyne and Monique Lamoureux (Grand Forks) as a Peace Garden State representative to Team USA. Curl-Salemme has four previous appearances in the IIHF World Championships (gold: 2023, 2025; silver: 2021, 2024). The second year forward is the first PWHL player to reach 10 points (3G, 7A) this season and is the league's current leading scorer.

Heise will join Curl-Salemme as a debut Olympian, having previously competed in four IIHF World Championships (gold: 2023, 2025; silver: 2021, 2024). The Lake City, Minn. native has paced the Frost on their current road trip with points in back-to-back games for the first time this season, including three assists in the team's 5-1 win over Toronto Tuesday night, and has six points in her last four outings. Heise began her PWHL career with several historic firsts, marked by her selection as the No. 1 pick by Minnesota in the inaugural 2023 PWHL Draft. At the conclusion of the season, she helped lead the franchise to the PWHL Championship and was named the first-ever PWHL Finals Most Valuable Player following an eight-point performance in the postseason.

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 USA will open Olympic competition in Milan Cortina on Thursday, Feb. 5 against Czechia in Group A at 9:40 a.m. CT.

All eight PWHL teams will be in action on January 28th as the league celebrates their national team players in the final game before the month-long Olympic break. The Frost will host Vancouver at 8:00 p.m. CT at Grand Casino Arena in St. Paul.

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

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Professional Women's Hockey League Stories from January 2, 2026


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