Professional Women's Hockey League season
The 2023–24 PWHL Minnesota season was the team's inaugural season as a member of the newly created Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL). They played their home games at Xcel Energy Center in Saint Paul, Minnesota .
PWHL Minnesota clinched the league's final playoff spot on the last day of the regular season, and regular season-champion PWHL Toronto selected Minnesota as its semifinal opponent. Minnesota went on to defeat Toronto in a five-game series, winning three straight games after losing the first two. Minnesota advanced to the PWHL Finals, where they faced PWHL Boston . Minnesota prevailed in another five-game series, winning the inaugural Walter Cup championship. Minnesota's first overall draft pick from the 2023 PWHL draft , Taylor Heise , led the playoffs in scoring and was voted the most valuable player of the playoffs. After the season, Grace Zumwinkle was named the league's rookie of the year.
Offseason
On September 1, 2023, Minnesota hired Natalie Darwitz as its general manager. Darwitz hired Charlie Burggraf as the team's first head coach on September 15. Jake Bobrowski and Mira Jalosuo were hired as assistant coaches on October 6. On September 25, The Hockey News reported that Minnesota would play their home games at Xcel Energy Center .
On September 6, Minnesota announced the signings of their first three players, American national team members Lee Stecklein , Kendall Coyne Schofield , and Kelly Pannek . Coyne Schofield was named team captain, with Stecklein and Pannek named assistant captains. Minnesota won the first overall selection in the inaugural PWHL draft on September 18; with the pick, the team selected Minnesota Golden Gophers forward Taylor Heise.
On December 27, 2023—one week before Minnesota's season-opening game—the team announced that Burggraf was stepping down as the team's head coach, and would be replaced by Ken Klee .
Standings
Pos
Team
Pld
W
OTW
OTL
L
GF
GA
GD
Pts
1
Toronto (Y)
24
13
4
0
7
69
50
+19
47
2
Montreal (X)
24
10
3
5
6
60
57
+3
41
3
Boston (X)
24
8
4
3
9
50
57
−7
35
4
Minnesota (X)
24
8
4
3
9
54
54
0
35
5
Ottawa (E)
24
8
1
6
9
62
63
−1
32
6
New York (E)
24
5
4
3
12
53
67
−14
26
Updated to match(es) played on May 5, 2024. Source: PWHL (E) Eliminated; (X) Clinched playoff berth; (Y) Clinched first place Notes:
^ Greater number of games won, excluding games won by Shootout: Boston 11 wins, Minnesota 10 wins
Schedule and results
Regular season
Minnesota played its first ever game on January 3, 2024, in Lowell, Massachusetts , against PWHL Boston . Taylor Heise scored the franchise's first goal, and Minnesota went on to win the game by a score of 3–2. The team made its home debut on January 6. Grace Zumwinkle scored a hat-trick and Maddie Rooney posted a shutout in a 3–0 victory over PWHL Montreal . With 13,316 fans in attendance, the game set a new record for attendance at a professional women's hockey game. Despite a strong start to the season, including wins in seven of the team's first eleven games, Minnesota clinched a playoff spot on the last day of the season after losing five straight games to end the regular season.
Regular season schedule
The regular season schedule was published on November 30, 2023.
Regular season schedule (Home: 5–2–2–3; Road: 3–2–1–6)
January: 3–2–2–1, 15 points (Home: 2–0–1–1; Road: 1–2–1–0)
February 2–0–1–3, 7 points (Home: 1–0–1–1; Road: 1–0–0–2)
March 3–2–0–0, 13 points (Home: 2–2–0–0; Road: 1–0–0–0)
April 0–0–0–3, 0 points (Home: 0–0–0–1; Road: 0–0–0–2)
May 0–0–0–2, 0 points (Home: 0–0–0–0; Road: 0–0–0–2)
Regulation Win (3 points)
Overtime/Shootout win (2 points)
Overtime/shootout loss (1 point)
Regulation Loss (0 points)
Playoffs
Main article: 2023–24 PWHL season § Playoffs
On May 6, 2024, PWHL Toronto elected to play Minnesota in the first round of the playoffs. Minnesota lost the first two games in the series, failing to score a goal in either; however, Minnesota then won three straight games to clinch the series and advance to the finals, where they faced PWHL Boston . In the finals, Minnesota won the fifth and deciding game of the series on the road with a 3–0 decision to capture the Walter Cup championship.
2024 PWHL Playoffs
First round vs. PWHL Toronto : Minnesota won 3–2
Game
Date
Opponent
Score
OT
Decision
Location
Attendance
Series
Recap
1
May 8
@ Toronto
0–4
Hensley
Coca-Cola Coliseum
8,473
0–1
2
May 10
@ Toronto
0–2
Rooney
Coca-Cola Coliseum
8,581
0–2
3
May 13
Toronto
2–0
Rooney
Xcel Energy Center
3,344
1–2
4
May 15
Toronto
1–0
2OT
Rooney
Xcel Energy Center
2,766
2–2
5
May 17
@ Toronto
4–1
Rooney
Coca-Cola Coliseum
8,501
3–2
Walter Cup Finals vs. PWHL Boston : Minnesota won 3–2
Game
Date
Opponent
Score
OT
Decision
Location
Attendance
Series
Recap
1
May 19
@ Boston
3–4
Rooney
Tsongas Center
4,508
0–1
2
May 21
@ Boston
3–0
Hensley
Tsongas Center
4,543
1–1
3
May 24
Boston
4–1
Hensley
Xcel Energy Center
9,054
2–1
4
May 26
Boston
0–1
2OT
Hensley
Xcel Energy Center
13,104
2–2
5
May 29
@ Boston
3–0
Hensley
Tsongas Center
6,309
3–2
Player statistics
As of May 29, 2024
Skaters
Goaltenders
Regular season
Player
GP
TOI
W
L
OT
GA
GAA
SA
SV%
SO
G
A
PIM
Nicole Hensley
14
849:22
7
6
1
31
2.19
383
0.919
1
0
1
2
Maddie Rooney
10
605:34
5
3
2
21
2.08
246
0.915
2
0
0
0
Playoffs
Player
GP
TOI
W
L
OT
GA
GAA
SA
SV%
SO
G
A
PIM
Nicole Hensley
5
338:29
3
1
1
6
1.06
109
0.945
2
0
0
0
Maddie Rooney
5
322:12
3
2
0
6
1.12
116
0.948
2
0
0
0
Awards and honors
Milestones
Regular season
Player
Milestone
Reached
Taylor Heise
1st goal in franchise history
January 3, 2024
1st career PWHL goal
1st career PWHL game
Sophia Kunin
1st career PWHL goal
1st career PWHL game
Grace Zumwinkle
1st career PWHL goal
1st career PWHL game
Mellissa Channell
1st career PWHL assist
1st career PWHL game
Brittyn Fleming
1st assist in franchise history
1st career PWHL assist
1st career PWHL game
Nicole Hensley
1st win in franchise history
1st career PWHL win
1st career PWHL game
Brooke Bryant
1st career PWHL game
Natalie Buchbinder
Michela Cava
Abby Cook
Kendall Coyne Schofield
Clair DeGeorge
Maggie Flaherty
Emma Greco
Dominique Kremer
Denisa Křížová
Kelly Pannek
Liz Schepers
Lee Stecklein
Susanna Tapani
Grace Zumwinkle
1st career PWHL hat-trick
January 6, 2024
Maddie Rooney
1st career PWHL shutout
1st career PWHL win
1st career PWHL game
Claire Butorac
1st career PWHL game
Lee Stecklein
1st career PWHL assist
January 10, 2024
Denisa Křížová
Taylor Heise
Lee Stecklein
1st career PWHL goal
January 14, 2024
Kelly Pannek
Michela Cava
1st career PWHL assist
Grace Zumwinkle
1st career penalty shot
Maddie Rooney
1st career PWHL loss
Susanna Tapani
1st career PWHL goal
January 17, 2024
1st career PWHL power-play goal
Grace Zumwinkle
5th career PWHL goal
1st career PWHL short-handed goal
1st career PWHL assist
Michela Cava
1st career PWHL goal
January 24, 2024
Sophia Kunin
1st career PWHL assist
Abby Boreen
1st career PWHL game
Brittyn Fleming
1st career PWHL goal
January 27, 2024
Claire Butorac
1st career PWHL assist
Lee Stecklein
5th career PWHL assist
Abby Cook
1st career PWHL goal
January 28, 2024
Kendall Coyne Schofield
1st career PWHL assist
Abby Boreen
1st career PWHL goal
1st career PWHL overtime goal
Nicole Hensley
1st career PWHL assist
Natalie Buchbinder
1st career PWHL assist
February 3, 2024
Abby Boreen
1st career PWHL power-play goal
February 14, 2024
1st career PWHL assist
Sophie Jaques
1st career PWHL assist
Maggie Flaherty
1st career PWHL goal
Maggie Flaherty
1st career PWHL assist
February 17, 2024
Sophie Jaques
1st career PWHL goal
February 27, 2024
Natalie Buchbinder
Denisa Křižová
1st career PWHL goal
March 5, 2024
Kendall Coyne Schofield
5th career PWHL assist
Grace Zumwinkle
Kendall Coyne Schofield
5th career PWHL goal
March 13, 2024
Kelly Pannek
10th career PWHL assist
Taylor Heise
5th career PWHL assist
Nicole Hensley
1st career PWHL shutout
Claire Butorac
1st career PWHL goal
March 16, 2024
Sydney Brodt
1st career PWHL assist
1st career PWHL game
Clair DeGeorge
1st career PWHL assist
March 24, 2024
Sophie Jaques
5th career PWHL assist
Grace Zumwinkle
10th career PWHL goal
April 18, 2024
Brooke Bryant
1st career PWHL goal
Kendall Coyne Schofield
10th career PWHL assist
April 27, 2024
Michela Cava
5th career PWHL goal
May 1, 2024
Maggie Flaherty
5th career PWHL assist
Honors
Awards
Transactions
Minnesota has been involved in the following transactions during the 2023–24 PWHL season .
Signings
Date
Player
Position
Term
Previous Team
Ref
September 6, 2023
Kelly Pannek
F
3 years
Team Scotiabank
September 6, 2023
Kendall Coyne Schofield
F
3 years
Team Adidas
September 6, 2023
Lee Stecklein
D
3 years
Team Harvey's
October 26, 2023
Taylor Heise
F
3 years
Minnesota
October 31, 2023
Nicole Hensley
G
3 years
Team Sonnet
November 1, 2023
Grace Zumwinkle
F
3 years
Minnesota
November 8, 2023
Susanna Tapani
F
2 years
KRS Vanke Rays
November 20, 2023
Maggie Flaherty
D
2 years
Minnesota Duluth
November 27, 2023
Natalie Buchbinder
D
2 years
Wisconsin
November 29, 2023
Brooke Bryant
F
1 year
Minnesota State
November 29, 2023
Sydney Brodt
F
1 year
Minnesota Whitecaps
November 30, 2023
Liz Schepers
F
1 year
Minnesota Whitecaps
November 30, 2023
Claire Butorac
F
1 year
Minnesota State
December 1, 2023
Sophia Kunin
F
1 year
Team Harvey's
December 1, 2023
Brittyn Fleming
F
1 year
Minnesota Whitecaps
December 1, 2023
Denisa Křížová
F
2 years
Minnesota Whitecaps
December 7, 2023
Clair DeGeorge
F
1 year
Team Harvey's
December 7, 2023
Michela Cava
F
1 year
Toronto Six
December 19, 2023
Amanda Leveille
G
1 year
Minnesota Whitecaps
December 19, 2023
Maddie Rooney
G
2 years
Team Adidas
December 20, 2023
Dominique Kremer
D
1 year
Buffalo Beauts
December 20, 2023
Abby Cook
D
1 year
HC Ladies Lugano
December 21, 2023
Emma Greco
D
1 year
Toronto Six
December 21, 2023
Mellissa Channell
D
1 year
Team Harvey's
Trades
Draft picks
See also: List of PWHL Minnesota draft picks
Below are the PWHL Minnesota's selections at the 2023 PWHL draft held on September 18, 2023. PWHL Minnesota was awarded the first overall selection through a draft lottery.
References
^ "Minnesota Staff" . ThePWHL.com . Professional Women's Hockey League . Retrieved December 14, 2023.
^ "Skater Stats" . ThePWHL.com . Professional Women's Hockey League . Retrieved May 4, 2024.
^ "Goalie Stats" . ThePWHL.com . Professional Women's Hockey League . Retrieved May 4, 2024.
^ Sadler, Emily (May 6, 2024). "Toronto chooses to face Minnesota in first round of PWHL playoffs" . Sportsnet . Archived from the original on May 7, 2024. Retrieved May 7, 2024.
^ Salvian, Hailey (May 17, 2024). "PWHL Minnesota advances to finals with reverse sweep of Toronto: 3 takeaways" . The Athletic . The New York Times . Archived from the original on May 21, 2024. Retrieved May 21, 2024.
^ Salvian, Hailey (May 30, 2024). "PWHL Minnesota wins first-ever Walter Cup championship" . The Athletic . The New York Times . Archived from the original on May 30, 2024. Retrieved June 1, 2024.
^ "PWHL Minnesota's Heise wins Ilana Kloss Playoff MVP Award" . The Sports Network . May 29, 2024. Archived from the original on May 30, 2024. Retrieved June 1, 2024.
^ "Former Gophers star Grace Zumwinkle named PWHL rookie of the year" . Star Tribune . June 11, 2024. Archived from the original on June 12, 2024. Retrieved June 12, 2024.
Kennedy, Ian (September 1, 2023). "Video: Natalie Darwitz Introduced As GM Of Minnesota's PWHL Team" . TheHockeyNews.com . The Hockey News . Retrieved December 17, 2023. USA Hockey legend and former NCAA coach Natalie Darwitz has been named the general manager of Minnesota's PWHL team. Watch her introduction press conference.
Kennedy, Ian (September 15, 2023). "Six Coaches Announced For PWHL Teams Including MacLeod, Ryan, Cheverie" . TheHockeyNews.com . The Hockey News . Retrieved December 17, 2023. The PWHL has announced head coaches for their six franchises, a list including Carla MacLeod, Troy Ryan, and Kori Cheverie.
Kennedy, Ian (October 6, 2023). "Assistant Coaches: Bobrowski, Jalosuo Hired By PWHL Minnesota" . TheHockeyNews.com . The Hockey News . Retrieved December 17, 2023. Minnesota has hired a pair of assistant coaches – Jake Bobrowski and Mira Jalosuo – to work alongside head coach Charlie Burggraf.
Kennedy, Ian (September 25, 2023). "Reports: Xcel Energy Center Will Be Home Rink For PWHL Minnesota" . TheHockeyNews.com . The Hockey News . Retrieved December 17, 2023. The Xcel Energy Center, home to the NHL's Minnesota Wild, will according to reports also be the home rink of PWHL Minnesota.
Kennedy, Ian (September 6, 2023). "Stecklein, Coyne Schofield, Pannek Sign With Minnesota" . The Hockey News . Archived from the original on December 17, 2023. Retrieved December 17, 2023. American national team members Kendall Coyne Schofield, Lee Stecklein, and Kelly Pannek were the first three signings of the PWHL's Minnesota franchise.
"PWHL Minnesota appoints Kendall Coyne as team captain" . Sportsnet . January 3, 2024. Archived from the original on January 5, 2024. Retrieved January 5, 2024.
"Minnesota Picks Taylor Heise 1st in the Inaugural Professional Women's Hockey League Draft" . US News . Associated Press . September 18, 2023. Archived from the original on September 18, 2023. Retrieved September 19, 2023.
CBC Sports (December 27, 2023). "Charlie Burggraf steps down as head coach of PWHL Minnesota days before season opener" . CBC Sports . Archived from the original on December 29, 2023. Retrieved December 27, 2023.
Blount, Rachel (January 3, 2024). "Minnesota wins 3–2 at Boston in its first PWHL game, starting new era in women's hockey" . Star Tribune . Archived from the original on January 4, 2024. Retrieved January 5, 2024.
Nelson, John (January 7, 2024). "PWHL Minnesota smashes attendance world record and wins in shutout" . Sports Illustrated . Archived from the original on January 7, 2024. Retrieved January 7, 2024.
"PWHL game in Minnesota sets attendance record with 13,316 fans" . The Guardian . January 7, 2024. Archived from the original on January 7, 2024. Retrieved January 7, 2024.
"Professional Wwomen's Hockey Lewague (PWHL) Announces 2024 Regular-Season Schedule" . PWHL . Retrieved November 30, 2023.
Kennedy, Ian (January 8, 2024). "Zumwinkle Named PWHL's First Star Of The Week" . TheHockeyNews.com . Archived from the original on January 12, 2024. Retrieved January 8, 2024. Minnesota forward Grace Zumwinkle earned the PWHL's inaugural First Star of the Week honor.
Kennedy, Ian (January 15, 2024). "Poulin Named PWHL's First Star Of The Week" . TheHockeyNews.com . Retrieved January 15, 2024. Marie-Philip Poulin, Ella Shelton, Taylor Heise receive 3 Stars of the Week honors for the week of January 8–14.
"Spooner, Campbell, Coyne Schofield named PWHL's three stars of the week" . Sportsnet.ca . Retrieved February 24, 2024.
"Nurse, Jaques, Fast named PWHL's Three Stars of the Week" . TheHockeyNews.com . March 3, 2024. Retrieved March 5, 2024.
"Coyne Schofield, Cava, Flanagan Named PWHL 3 Stars of the Week" . www.thepwhl.com . March 19, 2024. Retrieved March 21, 2024.
^ "Minnesota Signing Summary (Live Tracker)" . ThePWHL.com . Professional Women's Hockey League . December 17, 2023. Retrieved December 17, 2023.
^ Shircliff, Elaine (November 25, 2023). "2023 PWHL Minnesota Player Signing Tracker" . FullPressHockey.com . Full Press Hockey. Retrieved December 17, 2023. With each passing day, the rosters for each team in the PWHL begin to take shape.
PWHL Minnesota (December 19, 2023). "Goalie Amanda Leveille has signed a one-year contract! With PHF all-time records for wins and shutouts, and two Isobel Cup championships under her belt, we're ready for a legendary season!" (Tweet ) – via Twitter .
PWHL Minnesota (December 19, 2023). "Gold medalist Maddie Rooney strengthens our lineup! The starting goaltender of the 2018 Winter Olympics-winning U.S. team has signed a 2-year contract" (Tweet ) – via Twitter .
PWHL Minnesota (December 20, 2023). "Making an impact from the blue line! Former Buffalo Beauts Captain Dom Kremer has signed a one-year contract" (Tweet ) – via Twitter .
PWHL Minnesota (December 20, 2023). "Boston University standout Abby Cook has locked in a one-year deal. 🔒 Cook set the program's record for most career points by a defender, notching 99 points in 147 games" (Tweet ) – via Twitter .
PWHL Minnesota (December 21, 2023). "💪 Locked in and ready to dominate! Former Toronto Six defender Emma Greco has inked a 1-year contract!" (Tweet ) – via Twitter .
PWHL Minnesota (December 21, 2023). "Building up our blue line! The PWHPA's Team Harvey's defender and Wisconsin Badger alumni Mellissa Channell joins the team for the 2023–24 season" (Tweet ) – via Twitter .
"Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL) Announces Trade Between Boston and Minnesota" . ThePWHL.com . February 11, 2024. Retrieved February 11, 2024.
"PWHL Draft Tracker: Round-by-round recap of all 90 selections" . Sportsnet . September 18, 2023. Retrieved July 16, 2024.
"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.
Recaps
^ "PWHL Minnesota @ PWHL Boston" . ThePWHL.com . January 3, 2024. Archived from the original on January 2, 2024. Retrieved January 3, 2024.
^ "PWHL Montreal @ PWHL Minnesota" . ThePWHL.com . January 6, 2024. Retrieved January 6, 2024.
^ "PWHL Toronto @ PWHL Minnesota" . ThePWHL.com . January 10, 2024. Retrieved January 11, 2024.
^ "PWHL New York @ PWHL Minnesota" . ThePWHL.com . January 14, 2024. Retrieved January 15, 2024.
^ "PWHL Minnesota @ PWHL Ottawa" . ThePWHL.com . January 17, 2024. Retrieved January 17, 2024.
^ "PWHL Montreal @ PWHL Minnesota" . ThePWHL.com . January 23, 2024. Retrieved January 23, 2024.
^ "PWHL Minnesota @ PWHL Boston" . ThePWHL.com . January 27, 2024. Retrieved January 27, 2024.
^ "PWHL Minnesota @ PWHL New York" . ThePWHL.com . January 28, 2024. Retrieved February 4, 2024.
^ "PWHL Minnesota @ PWHL Toronto" . ThePWHL.com . February 3, 2024. Retrieved February 4, 2024.
^ "PWHL Ottawa @ PWHL Minnesota" . ThePWHL.com . February 14, 2024. Retrieved February 15, 2024.
^ "PWHL Minnesota @ PWHL Ottawa" . ThePWHL.com . February 17, 2024. Retrieved February 17, 2024.
"PWHL Minnesota @ PWHL Montreal" . ThePWHL.com . February 18, 2024. Retrieved February 18, 2024.
"PWHL Boston @ PWHL Minnesota" . ThePWHL.com . February 25, 2024. Retrieved February 26, 2024.
^ "PWHL Toronto @ PWHL Minnesota" . ThePWHL.com . February 28, 2024. Retrieved February 28, 2024.
"PWHL Minnesota @ PWHL New York" . ThePWHL.com . March 3, 2024. Retrieved March 3, 2024.
^ "PWHL Minnesota @ PWHL New York" . ThePWHL.com . March 5, 2024. Retrieved March 5, 2024.
^ "PWHL Boston @ PWHL Minnesota" . ThePWHL.com . March 13, 2024. Retrieved March 13, 2024.
^ "PWHL New York @ PWHL Minnesota" . ThePWHL.com . March 16, 2024. Retrieved March 16, 2024.
^ "PWHL Montreal @ PWHL Minnesota" . ThePWHL.com . March 24, 2024. Retrieved March 24, 2024.
^ "PWHL Minnesota @ PWHL Montreal" . ThePWHL.com . April 18, 2024. Retrieved April 20, 2024.
"PWHL Minnesota @ PWHL Ottawa" . ThePWHL.com . April 20, 2024. Retrieved April 20, 2024.
^ "PWHL Boston @ PWHL Minnesota" . ThePWHL.com . April 27, 2024. Retrieved April 27, 2024.
^ "PWHL Minnesota @ PWHL Toronto" . ThePWHL.com . May 1, 2024. Retrieved May 2, 2024.
"PWHL Minnesota @ PWHL New York" . ThePWHL.com . May 4, 2024. Retrieved May 4, 2024.
"PWHL Minnesota @ PWHL Toronto" . ThePWHL.com . May 8, 2024. Retrieved May 8, 2024.
"PWHL Minnesota @ PWHL Toronto" . ThePWHL.com . May 10, 2024. Retrieved May 16, 2024.
"PWHL Toronto @ PWHL Minnesota" . ThePWHL.com . May 13, 2024. Retrieved May 16, 2024.
"PWHL Toronto @ PWHL Minnesota" . ThePWHL.com . May 15, 2024. Retrieved May 16, 2024.
"PWHL Minnesota @ PWHL Toronto" . ThePWHL.com . May 17, 2024. Retrieved May 17, 2024.
"PWHL Minnesota @ PWHL Boston" . ThePWHL.com . May 19, 2024. Retrieved May 19, 2024.
"PWHL Minnesota @ PWHL Boston" . ThePWHL.com . May 21, 2024. Retrieved May 21, 2024.
"PWHL Boston @ PWHL Minnesota" . ThePWHL.com . May 24, 2024. Retrieved May 24, 2024.
"PWHL Boston @ PWHL Minnesota" . ThePWHL.com . May 26, 2024. Retrieved May 26, 2024.
"PWHL Minnesota @ PWHL Boston" . ThePWHL.com . May 29, 2024. Retrieved May 29, 2024.
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