Five Minnesota Frost players to watch this season, with returning stars and a key addition

A year ago, the world’s best women’s hockey players formed the first real professionally run league, and a team lacking a logo and nickname, but made up largely of Minnesotans, won it all.

On Sunday, the Minnesota Frost begins defense of its Walter Cup trophy with three draft picks and some other new players but with its championship roster mostly intact.

Can they do it again?

“We’re going to have a target on our backs,” said Frost forward Taylor Heise, the first player taken in the first PWHL draft a year ago. “And I like playing that way.”

Here are five players to watch — returning and new — who open the team’s second season Sunday at home against the New York Sirens at Xcel Energy Center.

Forward, shoots left

Age: 32

Hometown: Palos Heights, Ill.

She was an Olympic gold medalist in 2018 and silver medalist in 2014 and is also a six-time IIHF World Championship gold medal winner. She had six goals and 10 assists in 24 PWHL regular-season games and scored an empty-net goal in a decisive Game 5 victory over Boston to win the inaugural Walter Cup last May. A former member of the Minnesota Whitecaps and Team USA captain since 2019, she used a connection with tennis and women’s sports legend Billie Jean King to play her part in the PWHL’s founding. Kendall Coyne Schofield was the first woman to compete in the NHL All-Stars skill challenge, competing for fastest skater.

Forward, shoots right

Age: 25

Hometown: Excelsior

She was in the same Gophers’ Class of 2023 as Taylor Heise, and while at the U she was a two-time finalist for the Patty Kazmaier Award, given to the top college women’s hockey player in the nation. Last season, Zumwinkle notched 11 goals — including four game-winners — and eight assists while playing all 24 games in her PWHL rookie season. She also won an Olympic silver medal at the 2022 Beijing Games and won silver at consecutive world championships in 2021 and 2022.

Defense, shoots left

Age: 26

Hometown: Toronto

She didn’t play in the PWHL’s inaugural season, while she completed her second year at the NYU School of Medicine. She decided to play full time in the PWHL’s second season with an eye on the 2026 Winter Olympics, so she declared for the 2024 draft. The Frost took the offensive-minded defender third overall. The former Princeton player won gold and was an all-tournament pick for Canada in the 2022 Beijing Olympics. Put her alongside another Toronto native, Sophie Jaques, who was acquired in a trade with Boston last season, and the Frost now have two gifted players who can create offense from their defensive position.

Goalie

Age: 30

Hometown: Lakewood, Colo.

Frost coach Ken Klee calls Nicole Hensley and Maddie Rooney a world-class goalie tandem. Both contributed fairly equally in last year’s Walter Cup playoffs, with Rooney largely backing the first-round victory over Toronto in five games and Hensley bringing home the Cup in the finals against Boston. Hensley was on the U.S. Olympic teams that won gold in 2018 and silver in 2022, and won five more world championship medals. Rooney played at UMD and beat Canada in a shootout in the 2018 Olympic gold medal game.

Forward, shoots right

Age: 24

Hometown: Lake City, Minn.

The first player taken in the first PWHL draft in 2023, the former Gopher and 2022 Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award winner scored four goals and had nine assists last season. A shoulder interrupted her rookie year for a month. She wore a knee brace during on training camp’s opening day but said she expected to be ready by the Dec. 1 opener against New York. She was on this month’s U.S. team for its Rivalry Series against Canada. She was a collegiate first-team All-America and won gold with the U.S. women’s team at the 2023 IIHF World Championship and silver in 2022, when she was named tournament All-Star, Best Forward and MVP.