Minnesota Frost hopes to repeat as PWHL Champions as it’s second season begins

After becoming the inaugural Walter Cup winners last season, the Minnesota Frost are hoping to see repeated success as the puck drops on Sunday for their second season.

Saturday marks the second year of the Professional Women’s Hockey League, and as the league begins its regular season, the Minnesota Frost is expected to have a large target on their back as reigning champions.

Last season, the Frost, then called PWHL Minnesota, started off strong with a 12-7 record before going on a 5-game losing streak when heading into the postseason.

Earning the number four seed, Minnesota had been paired against PWHL Toronto, now the Toronto Scepters, the top-seeded team in the playoffs. After going down 0-2 in the series, Minnesota mounted a reverse sweep comeback to advance to the finals against Boston, which they would defeat to become the first-ever winner of the Walter Cup.

Now Minnesota is back for season two with a new name, new players, and a new general manager, but they have retained their tenacity to win on the ice.

In the preseason, Minnesota was the only PWHL team to win both preseason games.

The upcoming season will feature 30 regular-season games for each team. New league rules have also been implemented, including a major penalty and game misconduct as a default penalty for all illegal checks to the head that occur during play.

Additionally, a new “No Escape” rule has been implemented, requiring players on a team that takes penalties, which leads to penalty time on the clock, to remain on the ice until after the face-off resumes action.

Minnesota Frost’s first game is Sunday against the New York Sirens in St. Paul at the Xcel Energy Center. The puck drop is scheduled for 5 p.m. Games can be watched on the PWHL YouTube Channel.