“It just kind of worked out that way,” Primerano said.
WCHA coaches voted her their preseason Rookie of the Year pick. She won the U18 world tournament’s MVP, its Best Defenseman award and was the career leading scorer for a defender and career leading scorer by a Canadian. Her older brother Luca plays in the junior British Columbia Hockey League. She was drafted in the 13th round of the 2022 Western Hockey League draft by the Vancouver Giants — the first female skater drafted by a WHL club — and went to training camp with them in 2023.
“But it’s over now,” Primerano said.
Now she’s aimed at getting better daily and making the Canadian national team. Frost calls it “incredible passion” for the game.
“She loves hockey and you can see that every day,” Frost said. “She eats, sleeps and breathes hockey. When you have a passion like that, it can’t help but bleed into the ice. She’s incredibly gifted, great feet, fantastic offensive ability, sees the ice really well. She’s a complete hockey player.”
Primerano credits her older brother for some of that and tries to ignore what Frost calls that “hype” about her.