Grace Zumwinkle on the PWHL and the message it sends girls: ‘It’s just so cool’

Grace Zumwinkle’s parents did not play hockey. The former Gophers forward and current PWHL star was not indoctrinated into the sport.

She didn’t show any interest in hockey until … well, let her tell the story.

“It’s actually funny,” she said. “I showed up to kindergarten, and my kindergarten class crush at the time had a flyer about joining youth hockey. I was like, ‘Oh, my gosh, I need to take this home to my parents.’

“They were like, ‘Where is this coming from?’ Unlike most Minnesota families, nobody in my family had played hockey before.

“My dad went out and bought me the $150 starter kit that included all the equipment. We were all set the night before, and then I started crying in my bed, telling my parents I didn’t want to go anymore. I had never skated. I had no idea what to do.

“My mom’s like, ‘If you don’t want to go, that’s fine.’ My dad said, ‘No, we’re going.’ ”

How’d she do?

“I basically just hung out on the boards the entire time,” she said. “The sons of NHL players were skating circles around me, just flying by. But after the practice I came off with a huge smile on my face and told my parents, ‘Man, I was the best one out there.’ ”

Zumwinkle’s introduction to hockey led to her earning a scholarship, playing in the Olympics and traveling the world. Now she’s starring for the Minnesota team in the PWHL, which may ensure that girls in Minnesota have reasons other than kindergarten crushes to think of themselves as future hockey stars.

Zumwinkle scored a natural hat trick in the first PWHL game played in Minnesota. An announced 13,316 crowded Xcel Energy Center, signaling that the new league and team are in the right place at the right time.

Entering the weekend, the Minnesota team, which doesn’t yet have a nickname, led the league with a record of 4-0-1. Zumwinkle was third in points, with six, and first in goals, with five.

With hometown hero Natalie Darwitz serving as the general manager, and a roster filled with Minnesota-grown players, the new team and league have proved to be an easy sell to hockey moms and dads.

They can bring their children to a still-beautiful hockey arena at lower costs than the NHL charges to see high-level hockey played by big-name players.

The immediate success of the PWHL and the Minnesota Aurora also highlights the importance of venues to new teams and leagues.

Were the Minnesota PWHL team playing in Tria Rink, there is no way the game would feel as big, no way the game would feel like a historic event, even if the quality of play was high. The X is a draw, and confers a sense of professionalism on the game.

Similarly, the Minnesota Aurora began as a true startup. Had they played on somebody’s high school field, they might have taken much longer to appeal to fans. Instead, they have played every home game at the TCO Performance Center.

Credit to the Wild and Vikings for promoting and serving two deserving local teams.

“It’s just so cool to see everything come full circle,” Zumwinkle said. “The buy-in from the Wild and everyone else in the state has been truly so special for all of us.”

Zumwinkle, who attended Breck, didn’t get to play at the X for a high school championship. She’s making up for lost playing time.

“Playing there as a professional was never something that crossed my mind,” she said. “As a younger girl, you envision going to Wild games, and you’re like, ‘This is so cool, but it’s for boys.’ Now to have girls coming to our games and for them to be able to dream of this, something they can obtain, is something that is very cool for our sport.”

Zumwinkle and the PWHL have improved the state of the State of Hockey.