The new Minnesota franchise in the new Professional Women’s Hockey League on Monday made U.S. national team member and former Gophers star Taylor Heise the league’s first overall pick.
From Lake City by way of Red Wing High School, Heise was a two-time All-America for the Gophers and won the 2022 Patty Kazmaier Award as the nation’s top player.
“I’m sweating right now,” Heise said on the draft broadcast. “Minnesota, its my home. Everyone I love is there and it’s the state of hockey. I’m just really honored that I am able to play and continue to show little girls that anything is possible if you keep working hard.”
While at the U, Heise played for then-Gophers assistant coach Natalie Darwitz, who is now the general manager for Minnesota’s PWHL team.
Darwitz went heavy on players with Minnesota ties through the early rounds, landing ex-Gophers forward Grace Zumwinkle at No. 13 overall, followed by Lakeville native and former Minnesota Duluth defenseman Maggie Flaherty.
Heise, 23, won a gold medal with the U.S. team at the 2023 IIHF Women’s World Championship and a silver with it in 2022.
Minnesota won the first overall pick in a draft lottery.
The franchise previously signed its allowed three foundational free agents — Olympians all and Heise’s world-championship teammates Lee Stecklein, Kelly Pannek and Kendall Coyne Schofield.
The PWHL allowed all of its six teams — Boston, New York, Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto and Minnesota, too — to sign three top free agents before Monday’s draft.
The league declared 268 players eligible for Monday’s 15-round draft in Toronto. Ninety will be chosen, 15 by each team. Undrafted skaters are allowed to sign with any of the six teams.
The PWHL begins a 24-game regular season in January. The Minnesota team succeeds the Minnesota Whitecaps, who most recently played in the Premier Hockey Federation. PHF assets were bought earlier this year by Los Angeles Dodgers co-owner Mark Walter and his wife, Kimbra.
Heise walked along the purple carpet in Toronto, with little girls there to welcome members of the new league.
“That’s something I would have done,” Heise said. “Team Canada and Team USA played each other in Minnesota, and I remember standing and waiting for an hour for autographs. Having little girls — they’re going to have this opportunity, this is going to be here forever and I want them to know this is an opportunity too.
“It was amazing to have Billie Jean King endorse us and realize we do deserve what we get here. This league is going to be one to reckon with.”
Other picks
With the No. 12 pick — the final selection of the second round — Minnesota drafted goaltender Nicole Hensley, a Colorado native who has played for Team USA in the past two Olympic games.
At No. 13, Minnesota grabbed another hockey icon from the state in Zumwinkle, who has been a standout for the Gophers and won silver with Team USA in the 2022 Olympics.
With the sixth and last pick in the fourth round, the team took Flaherty, a former UMD defenseman who grew up playing with Heise.
Minnesota selected Finland national team’s 30-year-old forward Susanna Tapani with the fifth round’s first pick, 25th overall. She played for the Metropolitan Riveters in the former Premier Hockey Federation.
At No. 27, Boston swooped in and drafted Hannah Brandt, a U.S. Olympian and former Gophers star.
Check back for details on the rest of the draft as it unfolds.