The Frost roster skated onto the ice wearing new purple sweaters with the frosty “F” on the front. Player introductions were first, followed by about a 10-minute ceremony to recognize the inaugural season, 2024 Walter Cup Champion Minnesota team ahead of their season-opening game – an eventual 4-3 overtime loss – against the New York Sirens.

Along with Jayna Hefford, PWHL senior vice president of hockey operations, and Amy Scheer, PWHL senior vice president of business operations, joining the ceremony on the purple carpet, past championship team members were introduced for the celebration, too. Amanda Leveille, Lauren Bench, Nikki Nightengale and Brittyn Fleming touched the Walter Cup as captain Kendall Coyne Schofield skated the trophy to a table where the banner would be raised. Sixteen current Frost players were already on the ice and part of that championship team.

“I think we kind of had a unique run at the championship,” said forward Grace Zumwinkle, Minnesota’s leading scorer last season, with 11 goals and 19 points in 24 games. “And losing the last five games of the season and then coming through. I think, a huge testament to the group of us just flipping the script and turning it around.

“I think that’s something our group is so proud of.”

The championship banner was unveiled and raised during a pregame ceremony before the Minnesota Frost home opener on Dec. 1 at Xcel Energy Center (MHM Photo / Jeff Wegge)

After a highlight video showcased the historic 2024 season, the championship banner was unveiled. Players greeted each other and posed for a photo with the Walter Cup trophy and Walter Cup Champions 2024 banner (white with the team’s color purple trim and lettering). Then the banner was raised toward the rafters above the Minnesota goal, while the announced crowd of 8,022 cheered and waved commemorative rally towels.

“It was really exciting to see some of our teammates be able to come back,” Coyne Schofield said. “Wish everyone could’ve been there for it, of course. But I hope those that weren’t were able to watch from wherever they were.

“But yeah, just a reflection of so many people who made that possible. That’ll always be woven within that banner that’s up in the rafters forever.”

Frost focused on the season ahead, not offseason moves
One of the people instrumental in putting together last year’s championship roster who was not there was former Minnesota general manager Natalie Darwitz. Just days after Minnesota celebrated its Cup-clinching Game 5 victory in Boston, the PWHL announced it had “parted ways” with Darwitz. The league hired Melissa Caruso as Minnesota’s new general manager this summer.

After Darwitz was let go in June, she released a statement to reporters addressing her time with the organization last season: “As the General Manager of PWHL Minnesota, I gave my heart and soul to provide a first-class experience to the players, staff and fans.

“I am very proud of the team and organization that was built and the championship we brought home to this great State of Hockey.”

Training camp last month was the first time many Frost players met with the media in person since the offseason drama surrounding the team. That included Coyne Schofield, the player multiple media outlets reported was one of the drivers behind removing Darwitz.  

“I think the decisions that are made are not the decisions that are made by us players,” Coyne Schofield told the media on the first day of training camp Nov. 14.  “Those were league decisions. We’re here, and we’re here to play hockey. And we’re here to defend our title.

“It’s never fun to see people writing false narratives about you, false statements, and tearing you down when they don’t know the truth. But, you know, I can’t control that. I can control who I am, the way I do things, the way I carry myself, the way I lead this team. And that’s what I can control.”

A new season means a fresh start, and Minnesota’s second-year coach Ken Klee made it clear from day one of camp that his team is focused on moving forward.

“We’re focusing on the future,” Klee said on Nov. 14. “Pro hockey, things happen. It’s some unfortunate things. And some things out of our control. We’re looking forward. Excited to get the season going.”

Lee Stecklein handles the puck during the season opener for the Minnesota Frost. (MHM Photo / Jeff Wegge)

Quick goals bookend the season-opener scoring
Once the puck dropped Sunday, Minnesota didn’t waste much time picking up where it left off. Zumwinkle scored the fastest goal in PWHL history, netting a shot from the slot on a feed from Kelly Pannek only 21 seconds into the game. Zumwinkle was also the first Minnesota player to score in last year’s home opener, scoring a hat trick in a 3-0 victory over Montreal.

The Frost dominated play against the Sirens in the first period Sunday, taking a 2-0 lead and outshooting New York by a five-to-one margin. Coyne Schofield scored the second goal for the Frost, pouncing on a rebound at the goalmouth with two minutes, 14 seconds to play in the first period.

But the Sirens tied the game in the second period. First, it was a power-play goal from Jessie Eldridge about halfway through the period. Two minutes, 58 seconds later, Blaine native Gabby Rosenthal fired a sharp-angle shot top-shelf to tie the score, 2-2.

The Sirens made it three straight goals for a 3-2 lead early in the third period. Sarah Fillier, the 2024 No. 1 overall draft pick, got the puck at neutral ice and tossed a beauty of a cross-ice pass to Alex Carpenter for a goal off the rush.

“When we can get up ice quick and take advantage of odd-man rushes, I think we both want to bury them,” Fillier said.

Minnesota responded to tie the game and force overtime with rookie Dominique Petrie’s first professional goal with 4:13 left in regulation.

Blaine native Gabby Rosenthal (No. 15 in white) celebrates her first goal of the season with the New York Sirens. (MHM Photo / Jeff Wegge)

But as quickly as Zumwinkle scored to start the game, the Sirens finished off overtime by an even quicker margin. With forwards Coyne Schofield and Taylor Heise, plus defenseman Lee Stecklein, on the ice to start the 3-on-3 overtime, Fillier and Carpenter connected again, with Carpenter scoring the winner only 19 seconds into the extra session.

“I saw Filly get the puck, so I was like ‘get going. Get to the net,’” Carpenter said. “Just trying to find a nice seam. She was able to find it, and then get anything on net.”

The Frost earned a point but lost despite outshooting the Sirens 38-20. The Frost also went 0-for-2 on the power play, while the penalty kill went 0-for-1.

“I thought we did a lot of good things,” Klee said. “It was just finishing our chances. That’s kind of the message after that: We played hard, we got a point. And now, we just need to continue to get better.”

The post Hang The Banner appeared first on Minnesota Hockey Magazine.

Instead of Darwitz sitting at the PWHL Minnesota table during Monday’s PWHL Draft, it was head coach Ken Klee and other staff members, including assistant coach Mira Jalosuo and manager of sports performance Sam Hanson, making the team’s selections in the seven-round draft at Roy Wilkins Auditorium in St. Paul.

Fans have made their displeasure with the GM situation known via social media over the past few days. But two women in particular used homemade posters to share their thoughts. Tina Frederickson and Lisa Fulton held up their signs throughout the night while sitting in the fan section in the balcony of the auditorium. Their signs read: “Bring Back Darwitz,” “Klee Is Not Ken-ough!” and “Currently In My Bring Back Natalie Darwitz Era.”

The women had already planned on attending the PWHL Draft, even before the GM dismissal.

“I said to her, ‘do you feel like making a poster?’” Frederickson said, with a laugh. “We’re both very spirited people.”

They weren’t the only ones at the Draft being vocal with their feelings. Boos were heard in the auditorium as Klee stepped on stage for the announcement of Minnesota’s first-round pick, defenseman Claire Thompson.

Before the team’s second-round pick, PWHL host Clay Matvick mentioned on the YouTube broadcast (also shown on screens in the auditorium) that the league and Darwitz had “parted ways,” which was met with more vocal fan angst, including someone shouting out: “We pick Darwitz back as our GM.”

Of PWHL Minnesota’s seven selections, none were Minnesota natives. That included Abby Boreen, who scored four goals and two assists in 14 regular-season and playoff games with Minnesota this season. But she was a reserve player and needed to declare for this year’s draft. Montreal selected Boreen two picks after Minnesota selected Klára Hymlárová in the third round.

PWHL Minnesota head coach Ken Klee speaks with the media following the PWHL Draft on June 10, 2024 at Roy Wilkins Auditorium in St. Paul. (MHM Photo / Heather Rule)

Following the draft, Klee said Minnesota was “just trying to pick the best players available” when asked if he had anything to say to Minnesota fans regarding the animosity from some fans at the draft, or regarding the events surrounding the team in recent days.

“I certainly didn’t want anything else to be a distraction,” Klee said. “I wouldn’t want anything to take away from any of those [drafted] players’ experience. It’s unfortunate a little bit at the beginning. But again, it’s OK. People are entitled to their opinion.”

Frederickson said “there are so many people here today” who provided “thumbs up” reactions to their posterboard signs, and they were frustrated about the decision regarding the Darwitz situation.

Darwitz out, ‘optics are horrid’
The Athletic first broke the story about Darwitz being out as the GM late Thursday night. The PWHL released a statement Saturday afternoon, stating that Darwitz and PWHL Minnesota “have parted ways, effective immediately.”

“We appreciate all that Natalie has done for PWHL Minnesota in the league’s inaugural season and her contributions to the team’s championship success. We wish her the best moving forward,” said Jayna Hefford, Senior Vice President of Hockey Operations, PWHL.

The league added that there is no immediate timeline for the naming of the next PWHL Minnesota GM.

Sunday evening, Darwitz released a statement to reporters: “I would like to thank the State of Hockey for their support of PWHL Minnesota. As the General Manager of PWHL Minnesota, I gave my heart and soul to provide a first-class experience to the players, staff and fans. My goal was to grow the game of women’s hockey and to show young girls their dream could become a reality.

“I am very proud of the team and organization that was built and the championship we brought home to this great State of Hockey. At this time, I am not able to provide any details regarding my departure.”

Any other details surrounding the personnel move haven’t been officially released, leaving more questions than answers, especially for fans like Frederickson and Fulton.

“It’s not a good look,” Frederickson said. “The optics are horrid. They are horrid.

“No one seems to know anything. So, we’re all frustrated.”

Last year when the PWHL formed and Darwitz was named general manager of PWHL Minnesota, Frederickson said she “immediately signed up” to become a season ticket subscriber. Frederickson, who remembers Darwitz as a student in her public speaking class at the University of Minnesota 20 years ago, said she wanted to support this league for Darwitz, “because it was her dream back then” to have women’s professional hockey.

The roller coaster continues
For Darwitz “to be let go” after assembling the first PWHL championship team and putting in all the hard work this season, Frederickson said, as a fan, “it’s a huge disrespect.”

“And I’m not alone in that sentiment,” Frederickson said. “There are a lot of people who are pissed off in this state about it.”

Before PWHL Minnesota’s pick was announced, some boos were heard as coach Ken Klee walked on stage, and these signs seen in the audience: pic.twitter.com/fkOsfG1hSY

— Heather Rule (@hlrule) June 10, 2024

 
Frederickson and Fulton mentioned that the 72 hours prior to the Draft were a roller coaster, with Frederickson noting a lack of transparency with the league and its decisions.

“I just wonder, does the leadership understand the Minnesota market at all?” Frederickson said. “Do they want it to fail? Do they want to take this team and put it somewhere else?”

It’s another chapter in the roller-coaster saga for PWHL Minnesota’s inaugural season. About a week before the season started, head coach Charlie Burggraf stepped away from the team for personal reasons. Klee, who had gone through the interview processes for general manager and head coach, was given the job as head coach of Minnesota.

The team started strong, setting an attendance record for its home opener in January at Xcel Energy Center. A 5-0 record in March gave way to a 0-5 swoon following the International Break, and Minnesota, after barely making the playoffs, was down 0-2 in its semifinal series versus Toronto. Then they stormed back for three straight wins before defeating Boston in a five-game series to win the Walter Cup.

Frederickson and Fulton were “super hyped up” and excited to attend the Draft in St. Paul, but they got there early on Monday evening with mixed feelings.

“We’ve been diehard fans since day one,” Fulton said. “And we’re sitting here, and we’re talking about the pros and cons. The pros of staying… the cons of staying. The pros of leaving, and rescinding our season tickets.

“There’s so many women and little girls and other people that are in positions of power that we want to support. And so, if we back out, we’re no longer supporting all of those people. … We keep talking about, ‘well, if we do stay, how can we continue to let our voice be heard? So that we continue to be part of the solution, part of bringing the program forward?’

“We don’t have answers. We don’t know. We just know the joy that it brought to us.”

The post Mixed Feelings appeared first on Minnesota Hockey Magazine.