Wednesday, January 28, 2026 | 8 p.m. CT | Grand Casino Arena
WATCH LIVE: FanDuel Sports Network North Extra, FOX 9+, TSN 5, TSN.ca, TSN App, PWHL YouTube & thepwhl.com (U.S. / International), More
Jamie Hersch (Play-by-Play), Alexis Huss (Analyst), Kevin Gorg (Reporter)
VANCOUVER GOLDENEYES
5-1-2-7 | 19 PTS | 5TH PLACE (TIED)
Top Scorer: Claire Thompson – 14 GP, 3-6-9 PTS
Last Game: 3-1 W at SEA (in Denver) on Jan. 25
MINNESOTA FROST
6-2-3-3 | 25 PTS | 2ND PLACE
Top Scorer: Kendall Coyne Schofield – 14 GP, 10-6-16 PTS
Last Game: 6-2 W vs. NY on Jan. 25
2025-26 SEASON SERIES: MINNESOTA LEADS 2-1 IN POINTS
Dec. 27 at VAN (EDMONTON): 2-1 MIN (OT) | Jan. 28 at MIN | Mar. 21 at VAN | Apr. 4 at MIN | Apr. 25 at VAN
WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW
Vancouver has won its last two games, 5-0 versus Toronto and 3-1 over Seattle in a Takeover Tour game in Denver, the most goals scored by the Goldeneyes in back-to-back games. Their victory over Seattle was their second ever on the road and first by multiple goals (4-3 over Boston in Detroit).
Izzy Daniel, who hails from Minneapolis, scored the game-winning goal in each of the Goldeneyes’ last two victories and has three total on the season. The only other player this season with three game-winning goals is Ottawa’s Sarah Wozniewicz.
Sarah Nurse extended her point streak to four games (4G, 1A) with an assist in Denver, representing point production in every game she’s played this season. Daniel (2G, 1A), Jenn Gardiner (1G, 2A), Tereza Vanišová (1G, 2A) and Michelle Karvinen (1G, 1A) also enter the game with two-game active streaks.
Vancouver has 10 players, including six defenders, with Minnesota connections. Among them, the trio of Mellissa Channell-Watkins, Sophie Jaques and Claire Thompson won the Walter Cup last season with the Frost and return for the first time tonight. Channell-Watkins (1G, 8A in 53 GP) and Jaques (9G, 23A in 40 GP) won back-to-back titles and Thompson (4G, 14A in 30 GP) was the third overall pick in 2024. Her and Jaques were finalists for 2025 Defender of the Year.
Daniel, Mannon McMahon (Maple Grove) and Gabby Rosenthal (Blaine) are Minnesota natives. Abby Boreen played for the Frost in the inaugural season and attended the University of Minnesota. McMahon, Ashton Bell and Nina Jobst-Smith played for the University of Minnesota-Duluth, and Madison Samoskevich attended Shattuck St. Mary's. McMahon worked with the WNBA's Minnesota Lynx in the summer as a Premium Experience Assistant.
Boreen, from Somerset, WI, attended Hill-Murray School in Minnesota and was a 2018 semifinalist for the Minnesota Ms. Hockey title. Daniel was a finalist for the award in 2019.
Brian Idalski's last coaching role prior to joining the Goldeneyes was with St. Cloud State as Head Coach from 2022-25 and helped develop Frost forward Klára Hymlárová.
The Frost took the first-ever meeting between the teams 2-1 in overtime in a Takeover Tour game in Edmonton. Taylor Heise scored the winner in the extra period, her first goal of the season and her only game-winning goal this year.
Minnesota won its last game, 6-2, over New York on Sunday, the Frost’s fourth win this season by at least four goals. The only other teams with multiple wins of four or more goals this season are the Sirens and Goldeneyes with two each.
Katy Knoll scored two goals against the Sirens, her second multi-goal game of the season after scoring just one goal in 21 games last season. She joins teammate and league-leading scorer Kendall Coyne Schofield, Ottawa’s Brianne Jenner and New York’s Kristýna Kaltounková as the only players with multiple multi-goal games this season.
Coyne Schofield (3G, 4A) and Heise (2G, 6A) are both on five-game point streaks, tied for the longest active point streaks in the PWHL and the longest streaks of their career. If either of them records a point in this game, they would tie the longest streak of the PWHL season previously recorded by teammates Mae Batherson and Kendall Cooper, and Montréal’s Marie-Philip Poulin. Heise has 49 career points (15G, 34A) and can join Coyne Schofield in the PWHL’s half century points club.
Kelly Pannek has scored in three straight games, and her four-game point streak is tied for a career-high. A goal tonight would tie Toronto’s Daryl Watts for the longest goal scoring streak of the season.
Maddie Rooney earned one of her three wins this season against Vancouver, allowing a season-low one goal against. Nicole Hensley has won five of her seven starts this season and has only suffered defeat in two overtime games. She ranks third in the PWHL with a 1.55 goals-against-average and a .946 save percentage among goaltenders with multiple starts.
The Frost are the only team averaging more than three goals per game (3.14). They lead in first (14) and second (13) period scoring and are tied with the Goldeneyes (15) in third period goals. Vancouver is last in first (8) and second (6) period goals.
WHAT THEY’RE SAYING
“I think we want to keep doing what we've been doing. Obviously the last two games have gone well for us, so just doing the little things right and going into the Olympic break with another three points would be huge.” – Goldeneyes defender Mellissa Channell-Watkins
“We are excited for the chance to close out the first half of the season on a high note. We’ll need to play a full 60 minutes and stay focused on the task at hand before going into the break.” – Frost goaltender Nicole Hensley
WEDNESDAY’S GAME: Minnesota welcomes Vancouver to Grand Casino Arena for the first of two visits this regular season, officially launching the league’s second half (Game number 61 of 120). Tonight’s contest caps a record-setting night in the PWHL that features four games and all eight teams competing on the same night for the first time in league history in the Ultimate Send-Off before the schedule pauses for the Olympic break. It’s the Frost’s special 7 Rings Celebration to honor the defending two-time Walter Cup Champions and to send off PWHL Olympians in the final game before the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026. The Frost will recognize all members of the 2024-25 Walter Cup winning team prior to the game, including Goldeneyes Mellissa Channell-Watkins, Sophie Jaques, Claire Thompson, and Strength and Conditioning Coach Shannon MacAuley, and will present them with their championship rings. As part of the festivities, the night will feature the team’s first bobblehead giveaway of the season with the Frost’s own soon-to-be four-time Olympian, Lee Stecklein, available to the first 4,000 fans while quantities last. In response to increased need in the community, the Frost are proud to partner with The Food Group to help support neighbors across the Twin Cities and Minnesota. Fans are invited to bring non-perishable food items as they’re able, with collection bins available at all Grand Casino Arena entrances. Monetary donations are also welcome by visiting https://give.mn/ordbcf.
The Olympic send-off features eight Frost players headed to Milano Cortina, including six Americans — more than any other PWHL team. Minnesota captain Kendall Coyne Schofield, alternate captains Kelly Pannek and Lee Stecklein, and forwards Britta Curl-Salemme, Taylor Heise and Grace Zumwinkle all prepare to represent the United States, while forwards Klára Hymlárová and Denisa Křížová suit up for Czechia. Frost athletic trainer Katie Homan and equipment manager Sis Paulsen are also part of the Team USA staff. Vancouver will be represented by eight players in Italy, including Canadians Jenn Gardiner, Sophie Jaques, Emerance Maschmeyer, Sarah Nurse and Claire Thompson, Czechia’s Tereza Vanišová, Finland’s Michelle Karvinen, and Germany’s Nina Jobst-Smith. A total of 61 PWHL players have been named to Olympic rosters, representing 30% of the league.