Among the most prominent storylines of the inaugural season of the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) was that of the Minnesota Frost (formerly PWHL Minnesota). From significant on-ice accomplishments to questionable offseason antics, the team incorporated approximately a decade’s worth of drama into a singular season. The Frost’s meteoric rise and subsequent fall from favour, seemingly occurring within an instant, left many of the team’s fans seriously disappointed while leading others to abandon ship completely. What’s the saying? “What goes up must come down.”
Promising Start
In August 2023, it was announced that Minnesota—the State of Hockey—would receive one of the first six PWHL franchises. Based in Saint Paul, Minnesota, the team was poised to share the ice of the Xcel Energy Center with the NHL’s Minnesota Wild. Almost instantly, the Frost inherited a large fan base comprised of Minnesotan and Midwestern hockey fanatics and women’s hockey fans alike.
During the League’s initial free agency period ahead of the season, the Frost signed Minnesota natives Lee Stecklein and Kelly Pannek in addition to U.S. national team legend Kendall Coyne Schofield, who was later named team captain. The Frost subsequently won the right to draft first overall in the 2023 PWHL Draft, and with its selection, the team drafted Minnesota native Taylor Heise from the Minnesota Golden Gophers.
The inaugural PWHL season got underway in January 2024, and by May 2024 the Frost secured a playoff spot. In a reverse sweep, the Frost triumphed over the Toronto Sceptres (formerly PWHL Toronto), creating a matchup against the Boston Fleet (formerly PWHL Boston) in the finals. On 29 May 2024, the Frost were victorious over the Fleet in the final game of the best-of-five series, making the team the first-ever Walter Cup champions. However, the Frost’s accomplishments did not stop at the Walter Cup, as Heise was awarded the Ilana Kloss Playoff MVP Award and teammate Grace Zumwinkle was later named the PWHL’s rookie of the year.
The team exceeded expectations in the 2023-2024 season, leaving fans overjoyed and excited for the future of the Frost and the PWHL. Unfortunately, this euphoria would not last as a series of offseason decisions and actions quickly changed how the Frost were perceived and supported by fans.
Offseason Circus
On 8 June 2024, a mere week and a half after winning the inaugural Walter Cup, the Frost and General Manager Natalie Darwitz parted ways. While the details of Darwitz’s departure have remained murky, it’s been alleged that she was in a power struggle with Coach Ken Klee. Reportedly, Klee and team captain Coyne Schofield banded together and lobbied the PWHL to remove Darwitz from her position. Klee subsequently took over as the team’s general manager.
On 10 June 2024, in the second round of the 2024 PWHL Draft, the Frost selected forward Britta Curl from the Wisconsin Badgers. As well-known as Curl is for her on-ice abilities, she is equally as well-known for her controversial off-ice behaviour. Curl has a history of supporting and promoting racist, transphobic, and anti-2SLGBTQIA+ rhetoric in addition to COVID-19 conspiracy theories on social media. In response to this controversy, Klee stood by Curl, justifying the draft selection based primarily on Curl’s play. On 14 June 2024, Curl posted a video on social media platform X apologizing for her online behaviour.
The following month, in July 2024, numerous Frost staff members were dismissed by Klee. In light of the dismissals, one anonymous former staff member called the work environment under Klee—though not under Darwitz—toxic and unprofessional. This was allegedly a common sentiment held by many staff members under Klee as many felt as though they had experienced bullying in the workplace.
Between Klee’s apparent toxic power trip, Coyne Schofield’s blurring of the lines between player and management, and the forgiveness of Curl’s highly questionable behaviour, it was clear that the wholesome, home-grown façade the Frost had spent the season building up had begun to crumble, quickly. The offseason circus had marred the Frost’s unforgettable inaugural season in the eyes of many fans, causing many to distance themselves from the team.
Nosedive
The Minnesota Frost’s rise and fall demonstrates that hockey is still an old boys club; power imbalances endure and toxicity remains pervasive, all in the name of achieving success. Bullying and bigotry are okay, especially if they lead to a championship. However, unlike the NHL, where many fans will excuse these behaviours, PWHL and Frost fans seem less willing to stand by idly. The Frost alienated a large part of its fan base when it drafted Curl and the front-office shenanigans made many fans very uncomfortable too. Consequently, many fans have vowed to no longer support the team.
The PWHL set out to be a different kind of league, different from previous women’s hockey leagues and certainly different from the NHL. It set out to be a league that championed women and was a safe, inclusive, and welcoming environment for all hockey fans. The mess created by the Frost has unquestionably done a disservice to the newly-minted league and women’s hockey in general; it is something that the PWHL and Frost will have to try to rectify quickly if they want to maintain support from remaining fans and sponsors alike.