| PWHL Minnesota | |
|---|---|
| City | Saint Paul, Minnesota |
| League | PWHL |
| Founded | August 29, 2023 |
| Home arena | Xcel Energy Center |
| Colors | Purple, black, white |
| Owner(s) | Mark Walter Group |
| General manager | Natalie Darwitz |
| Head coach | Charlie Burggraf |
| Website | minnesota.thepwhl.com |
 Current season | |
Minnesota are a professional ice hockey team based in Minnesota. They are one of the six charter franchises of the Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL).
History
It was revealed that one of the PWHL's first six franchises would be located in Minnesota on August 29, 2023.[1] Natalie Darwitz, former captain of the United States national team and three-time Olympic medalist, was named the team's inaugural general manager.[2][3] On September 15, former Bethel University men's and women's head coach Charlie Burggraf was announced as the first head coach of the team.[4]
The team's three free agency signings were United States national team players Kendall Coyne Schofield, Kelly Pannek, and Lee Stecklein.[5] Minnesota was awarded the right to select first overall in the inaugural PWHL draft through a lottery; with the pick, the team selected Minnesota Golden Gophers forward Taylor Heise.[6]
Minnesota will play at Xcel Energy Center in Saint Paul, Minnesota.[7]
Team
Current roster
- As of December 1, 2023
| No. | Nat | Player | Pos | S/G | Age | Acquired | Birthplace |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
Sydney Brodt | F | R | 25 | 2023 | North Oaks, Minnesota | |
|
Brooke Bryant | F | R | 23 | 2023 | Linden, California | |
|
Natalie Buchbinder | D | R | 24 | 2023 | Fairport, New York | |
|
Claire Butorac | F | R | 24 | 2023 | Andover, Minnesota | |
|
Kendall Coyne Schofield | F | L | 31 | 2023 | Palos Heights, Illinois | |
|
Maggie Flaherty | D | L | 23 | 2023 | Lakeville, Minnesota | |
|
Brittyn Fleming | F | L | 24 | 2023 | Oregon, Wisconsin | |
|
Taylor Heise | F | R | 23 | 2023 | Lake City, Minnesota | |
|
Nicole Hensley | G | L | 29 | 2023 | Littleton, Colorado | |
 |
Denisa Křížová | F | L | 29 | 2023 | Horni Cerekev, Czechia | |
|
Sophia Kunin | F | R | 26 | 2023 | Wayzata, Minnesota | |
|
Kelly Pannek | F | R | 27 | 2023 | Plymouth, Minnesota | |
|
Liz Schepers | F | L | 24 | 2023 | Mound, Minnesota | |
|
Lee Stecklein | D | L | 29 | 2023 | Roseville, Minnesota | |
 |
Susanna Tapani | F | L | 30 | 2023 | Laitila, Finland | |
|
Grace Zumwinkle | F | R | 24 | 2023 | Excelsior, Minnesota | |
Draft history
Held on September 18, 2023, the inaugural PWHL draft used a "snake draft" format, where the selection order reversed each round.[3] Minnesota was awarded the first overall selection through a draft lottery.[8]
| Rd | Pick | Player | Nationality | Position | Previous team |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Taylor Heise | United States |
Forward | Minnesota (WCHA) |
| 2 | 12 | Nicole Hensley | United States |
Goaltender | Team Sonnet (PWHPA) |
| 3 | 13 | Grace Zumwinkle | United States |
Forward | Minnesota (WCHA) |
| 4 | 24 | Maggie Flaherty | United States |
Defence | Minnesota Duluth (WCHA) |
| 5 | 25 | Susanna Tapani | Finland |
Forward | KRS Vanke Rays (ZhHL; 2021–22) |
| 6 | 36 | Clair DeGeorge | United States |
Forward | Team Harvey's (PWHPA) |
| 7 | 37 | Natalie Buchbinder | United States |
Defence | Wisconsin (WCHA) |
| 8 | 48 | Denisa Křížová | Czech Republic |
Forward | Minnesota Whitecaps (PHF) |
| 9 | 49 | Sidney Morin | United States |
Defence | Minnesota Whitecaps (PHF) |
| 10 | 60 | Sophia Shaver | United States |
Forward | Team Harvey's (PWHPA) |
| 11 | 61 | Amanda Leveille | .svg.png.webp){kind=small} Canada |
Goaltender | Minnesota Whitecaps (PHF) |
| 12 | 72 | Michela Cava | Canada |
Forward | Toronto Six (PHF) |
| 13 | 73 | Liz Schepers | United States |
Forward | Minnesota Whitecaps (PHF) |
| 14 | 84 | Minttu Tuominen | Finland |
Defence | Kiekko-Espoo (NSML) |
| 15 | 85 | Sydney Brodt | United States |
Forward | Minnesota Whitecaps (PHF) |
References
- ↑ Wyshynski, Greg (August 29, 2023). "Six inaugural franchises revealed for new PWHL". ESPN.com. Retrieved September 5, 2023.
- ↑ "PWHL names six general managers as teams begin roster construction". Sportsnet. September 1, 2023. Retrieved September 5, 2023.
- 1 2 Burgess, Melissa (September 2, 2023). "PWHL Introduces General Managers, Announces Draft Order". The Victory Press. Retrieved September 5, 2023.
- ↑ Sportsnet Staff (September 15, 2023). "Ryan, MacLeod headline PWHL coaches". SportsNet.ca. Sportsnet. Retrieved September 15, 2023.
- ↑ "PWHL Signing Tracker". Sportsnet. Retrieved September 6, 2023.
- ↑ "Minnesota Picks Taylor Heise 1st in the Inaugural Professional Women's Hockey League Draft". US News. Associated Press. September 18, 2023. Retrieved September 19, 2023.
- ↑ Kennedy, Ian (November 28, 2023). "PWHL Officially Announces Venues". The Athletic. Retrieved November 28, 2023.
- ↑ "Professional Women's Hockey League announces 2023 Draft order of selection". thepwhl.com. September 1, 2023. Archived from the original on September 7, 2023. Retrieved September 19, 2023.