On the opening day of the PWHL's expansion process, only a week after the Minnesota Frost won their second straight Walter Cup, the team lost a pair of star defenders.
Claire Thompson and Sophie Jaques, both members of Team Canada and both nominated for the 2025 PWHL Defender of the Year, signed with PWHL Vancouver on the opening day of the PWHL's exclusive expansion signing window.
On their run to the 2024-25 Walter Cup title, Jaques and Thompson finished second and fourth in PWHL playoff scoring.
In the regular season, Jaques finished tied for eighth overall in PWHL scoring, and was also tied for the PWHL's scoring lead by a defender despite missing five games with an injury. Her points/game rate placed Jaques fourth in the PWHL overall behind only Sarah Fillier, Hilary Knight, and Daryl Watts, and just ahead of Marie-Philip Poulin. It's elite company, particularly for a defender.
Thompson, the third overall pick in the 2024 PWHL Draft, was one of only three PWHL defenders to sneak into the top 20 in league scoring recording 18 points in 30 games in her first season in the league. Her signing in Vancouver was no surprise as her former Princeton coach Cara Gardner Morey, who was responsible for shifting Thompson from forward to defence, a move that propelled her career to the international level, is the general manager in Vancouver.
Minnesota also lost key contributors and two-way forwards Brooke McQuigge and Denisa Krizova up front.
What does their loss mean for the Frost's title hopes?
Minnesota is one of three teams in the PWHL alongside Ottawa and Toronto, who presumably had the best depth to weather the PWHL's expansion process. Still, the loss of Jaques and Thompson is significant to any title defence efforts. The incoming draft class does not have the depth to replace either player. If Minnesota is lucky enough to select Haley Winn or Nicole Gosling, it will be a huge victory for the team.
Minnesota's offensive attack should survive as long as the team can re-sign Michela Cava. There is good depth in the draft for forwards with offensive upside, including several who played their college hockey in Minnesota, or are Minnesota natives.
Despite what they have up front, Thompson and Jaques represented a quick start offense capable of jumpstarting an attack and transitioning the puck quickly. They also forced opponents to spread their defending to protect against Minnesota's waves that could include either defender leading a rush or jumping into the rush. It allowed Minnesota to attack in layers with trailers coming in waves spreading defending players and opening seams on the ice. Without the duo, Minnesota's attack will be much more monochromatic.
Back To The Future For The Original Six
In many ways, it's back to the future for the PWHL's original six teams. Minnesota's roster will be much closer in calibre to their season one team that also won the league crown. Minnesota was set up well by the club-friendly contracts Natalie Darwitz negotiated which gave the team the ability to acquire and keep Jaques despite already having six three-year contracts worth $80,000 or more. Minnesota didn't have a single player making $100,000 or more in their first two seasons, and in 2025-26 will have only one player who will be brought above the $100,000 mark due only to the annual 3% raise built into the collective agreement.
Minnesota will lean into their identity as a hard to play against, physical team who grinds down opponents. Stylistically, they are better suited for a top to bottom attack, which was evidenced by the clutch contributions from their fourth line of Liz Schepers, Katy Knoll, and Klara Hymlarova. If Ken Klee and co can find a way to help that line replicate even a modicum of that success across a full regular season, Minnesota will be ok.
The lack of depth contribution, or deployment of depth from other PWHL teams resulted in them missing the playoffs altogether, or early elimination while Minnesota and Ottawa, who best utilized their entire lineups, made it to the final.
Can the Frost three-peat?
The three-peat, a term coined in the NBA, is a rarity in professional sport. There is some precedent for a hot start to the existence of a professional women's sporting league however as the Houston Comets won the first four WNBA championships from 1997-2000 riding their big three of Cynthia Cooper, Sheryl Swoopes, and Tina Thompson. In the NHL it hasn't occurred since the New York Islanders won four consecutive titles beginning in 1980, ending a four year streak by the Montreal Canadiens.
It was a far more common occurance in the NHL's Original Six era. If a PWHL team is going to win three-straight, the best chance is now before the league grows again. Minnesota was able to protect their offensive leaders in Taylor Heise and Kendall Coyne Schofield, as well as defensive stalwart Lee Stecklein followed by rookie Britta Curl-Salemme. They were also able to hold on to veterans Grace Zumwinkle and Kelly Pannek, giving the Frost one of the best remaining forward groups in the league. The team however does have whole to fill, specifically on their blueline. It includes three key members of their blueline who are also free agents this season, and eventual starting goalie Maddie Rooney who is also a free agent.
If Minnesota can secure the core of their existing roster, and make a few key signings from free agents across the league, and find 2-3 contributors in the draft, they'll have as much of a chance as any original six team to challenge for another title.
Watching the PWHL expansion process however, an of the PWHL's original six teams will have a tough time getting through the league's two expansion teams with the talent laden rosters they were allowed to build.