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PWHL’s Minnesota Frost re-sign Lee Stecklein, Grace Zumwinkle

PWHL's Minnesota Frost re-sign Lee Stecklein, Grace Zumwinkle | iNFOnews.ca
FILE - United States' Grace Zumwinkle (13) shakes hands with fans after United States' women's ice hockey team was presented with the gold medals at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Feb. 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek, File)

Defender Lee Stecklein and forward Grace Zumwinkle are staying put in Minnesota after the PWHL’s Frost re-signed both players on Friday.

Zumwinkle signed a three-year contract and Stecklein a two-year deal, with both added to Minnesota’s protected list in the third phase of the PWHL’s expansion process.

Each of the existing PWHL teams are allowed to protect three additional players in this phase after initially being allowed to protect three.

The 32-year-old Stecklein is a four-time U.S. Olympian and regarded as one of women’s hockey’s top shutdown defenders. From Roseville, Minnesota, she is a two-time Walter Cup champion and returns for a fourth season with the Frost.

The 27-year-old Zumwinkle is a two-time U.S. Olympian and has also spent three seasons in Minnesota, and was the PWHL’s 2024 rookie of the year in league’s inaugural season.

Last season, Zumwinkle finished tied for fifth in the league with a career-best 13 goals, and tied for fifth with a career-best 23 points.

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AP women’s hockey: https://apnews.com/hub/womens-hockey

PWHL's Minnesota Frost re-sign Lee Stecklein, Grace Zumwinkle | iNFOnews.ca
FILE – Minnesota Frost defenseman Lee Stecklein celebrates with the Walter Cup after her team won the PWHL hockey finals against the Ottawa Charge, May 26, 2025, in St. Paul, Minn. (AP Photo/Ellen Schmidt, File)

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