Eight players with Minnesota ties, including six members of the Frost, were named to the U.S. Olympic women’s hockey team for the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina, Italy.
Frost forward Kendall Coyne Schofield and defender Lee Stecklein (Roseville/Gophers) are headed to their fourth Olympics while Frost teammate Kelly Pannek (Plymouth/Gophers) is going to her third.
Gophers forward Abbey Murphy and Frost forward Grace Zumwinkle of Excelsior, also formerly of the Gophers, return to the Games for a second time.
Forward Taylor Heise of Lake City (Gophers/Frost), forward Britta Curl-Salemme (Frost) and defender Rory Guilday of Chanhassen will make their Olympic debuts.
The women’s hockey tournament at the Olympics begins Feb. 5.
Team USA, which lost to Canada in the gold medal game in the Beijing Games in 2022, recently swept a four-game Rivalry Series against Canada, outscoring their neighbors 24-7.
The U.S. team including Stecklein, Pannek and Coyne Schofield beat Canada for the gold medal in 2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea.
