17 hours ago
14
Minnesota Frost fans can sleep a little easier tonight after two of the team’s key players have resigned and are now protected from the expansion process.
Grace Zumwinkle and Lee Stecklein have agreed to new contracts to play with the Frost, keeping them in Minnesota for the next few years. Zumwinkle signed a three-year extension while Stecklein agreed to a two-year contract.
Both had been at risk of being poached during the PWHL’s expansion process, which is helping four new teams build rosters for the upcoming 2026 season.
Previously, the Frost protected Taylor Heise and Kelly Pannek, re-signing each to three-year contracts, and protected goaltender Maddie Rooney during “phase 1” of the expansion process. Now that the PWHL is in “phase 3,” the Frost were able to protect three other players, which allowed Zumwinkle and Stecklein to remain in Minnesota. A third protected player has not been announced at this time.
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