Saturday, December 27, 2025 | 1 p.m. MT | Rogers Place – Edmonton
WATCH LIVE: Sportsnet, FanDuel Sports Network North, FOX 9+, PWHL YouTube & thepwhl.com (U.S. / International), More
James Cybulski (Play-by-Play), Blake Bolden (Analyst), Kelly VanderBeek (Reporter)
MINNESOTA FROST
3-0-1-2 | 10 PTS | 4TH PLACE (TIED)
Top Scorer: Kelly Pannek – 6 GP, 3-5-8 PTS
Last Game: 3-2 OTL vs. OTT (in Chicago) on Dec. 21
VANCOUVER GOLDENEYES
2-1-0-4 | 8 PTS | 6TH PLACE
Top Scorer: Claire Thompson – 7 GP, 2-4-6 PTS
Last Game: 4-2 L vs. MTL on Dec. 20
2025-26 HEAD-TO-HEAD SEASON SERIES:
Dec. 27 at VAN (EDMONTON) | Jan. 28 at MIN | Mar. 21 at VAN | Apr. 4 at MIN | Apr. 25 at VAN
WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW
The PWHL returns to Edmonton’s Rogers Place following last season’s Takeover Tour game between Toronto and Ottawa on Feb. 16 in front of a sold-out crowd of 17,518. The Sceptres defeated the Charge, 3-2 in overtime with Daryl Watts’ second goal of the game coming in the extra period.
This will be Minnesota’s second straight Takeover Tour game this season after falling to Ottawa 3-2 in overtime in Chicago last Sunday. The Frost played in three Takeover Tour games last season, winning in Denver (4-2 over Montréal) and Raleigh (5-0 over Ottawa) before losing to New York 4-1 in Detroit. They will return to Denver on Mar. 15, 2026 to face the Sirens.
All four Frost players that found Sunday’s scoresheet have three points in their last two games, including defenders Mae Batherson (1G, 2A) and rookie Kendall Cooper (3A), and forwards Britta Curl-Salemme (2G, 1A) and Kelly Pannek (1G, 2A). Batherson’s goal Sunday was her first in the PWHL.
Entering Saturday’s action following the holiday break, Frost players lead all offensive categories with Curl-Salemme and Pannek tied with Ottawa’s Brianne Jenner with eight points, captain Kendall Coyne Schofield tops the charts with five goals, and Curl-Salemme’s six assists are most in the PWHL.
Six Frost players led Team USA to a pair of victories over Canada during the Rivalry Series at Rogers Place, including a 10-4 win on Dec. 10 and a 4-1 victory on Dec. 13. Taylor Heise (4A), Pannek (2G, 1A), Coyne Schofield (1G, 2A), Curl-Salemme (1G, 1A), Grace Zumwinkle (1A) and Lee Stecklein made the Frost the most represented PWHL team on the U.S.
The Frost have just six Canadian-born players on their roster (and none from Alberta), the fewest of any PWHL team. Including playoffs, the Frost are 7-3-3-11 in Canada all-time.
Prior to coaching, Ken Klee played 934 career NHL games and scored the last of his 55 career goals against Edmonton as a member of the Phoenix Coyotes in 2008-09. Also on the Frost bench, assistant coach Brianna Decker’s Hockey Hall of Fame career had a stop in Alberta with the CWHL’s Calgary Inferno, scoring the winning goal to capture the 2019 Clarkson Cup.
This is the first Takeover Tour game for the Goldeneyes, who are 2-1-0-1 this season in Vancouver and 0-0-0-3 away from Pacific Coliseum. Vancouver will play four more Takeover Tour games this season (Detroit, Québec City, Denver, Edmonton).
Emerance Maschmeyer (Bruderheim) and Malia Schneider (Millarville) of Vancouver are two of the league’s seven rostered players from Alberta. The Goldeneyes netminder is tied for fourth all-time with 17 career wins but is still looking for her first victory in a Takeover Tour game (0-3).
Maschmeyer played her minor hockey with the Fort Saskatchewan Rangers from 2005-11. The rink she grew up playing in was re-named in 2016 after her grandmother, the Karol Maschmeyer Arena, for her founding membership of the Bruderheim Agricultural Society. Maschmeyer spent Christmas in Bruderheim and her parents, Arlan and Christine, will be at the game with her older brother Brock and older sister Brittaney – who played for the Edmonton Chimos and PWHPA.
Hannah Miller (3A) and Izzy Daniel played for Toronto in last season’s Takeover Tour game in Edmonton, while Tereza Vanišová (1G) and Maschmeyer (31/34) suited up for Ottawa. Ashton Bell missed the game due to injury. Maschmeyer also made a Rivalry Series appearance for Canada at Rogers Place alongside Goldeneyes Sophie Jaques (2G), Jenn Gardiner (1G) and Claire Thompson (1A) who played two games each.
Jaques and Michela Cava scored Vancouver’s goals in last Saturday’s 4-2 loss to Montréal and Thompson extended her assist streak to three games. The trio, along with defender Mellissa Channell-Watkins and forward Brooke McQuigge, all won a Walter Cup with Minnesota last season.
Anna Segedi joined Vancouver from a pre-season trade with Minnesota on Nov. 19 for Denisa Křížová. The rookie forward was the second Frost pick from St. Lawrence University following second-round selection Abby Hustler.
Vancouver has allowed one power play goal this season (only Boston has allowed zero) and has scored a shorthanded goal. The Frost have the league’s worst penalty kill at 66.7% (10/15).
WHAT THEY’RE SAYING
“We’re excited to have the team’s first Canadian Takeover Tour game today in a great hockey city. It is the first game of our (four-game) road trip and we want to start it off strong. We want to continue to improve our game and this matchup against Vancouver will be a good test.” – Frost Head Coach Ken Klee
“Any team we’re facing we’re excited, but I think a lot of us are excited to play the Frost with them being the back-to-back defending champs. With me being in Ottawa last year, losing to them in the final, I obviously have a grudge against that one. Then we have lots of Minnesota girls as well that came from the Frost. We’re all just excited to get back together here after the Christmas break, and to get to play in Edmonton for a Takeover Tour game. It was super exciting last year when we were here, Edmonton has an incredible fan base as well.” – Goldeneyes Captain Ashton Bell
SATURDAY’S GAME: The two-time defending Walter Cup champion Minnesota Frost take on the expansion Vancouver Goldeneyes for the first time in the DoorDash PWHL Takeover Tour™ presented by Explore Edmonton. Rogers Place is one of 28 venues, including 15 with current NHL teams, to host a PWHL game all-time, with Edmonton one of five markets to host multiple Takeover Tour games this season along with Chicago, Denver, Detroit and Halifax. The Tour returns on Apr. 7 when Vancouver hosts the Boston Fleet. For today’s ceremonial puck drop, the PWHL is honoured to welcome Christina Picton, captain of the Canadian Women’s National Para Ice Hockey Team. Picton and her team captured the silver medal at the inaugural Women’s Para Ice Hockey World Championship in Slovakia, and the multi-sport athlete is currently working towards qualifying for her second Paralympic Games in Milano Cortina while continuing to push for women’s Para Ice Hockey to be included in the 2030 Winter Paralympic Games. The PWHL has partnered with the Edmonton Oilers Community Foundation and local nonprofits, including Free Play for Kids, First Shift, Colby’s Kids, the St. Albert Minor Hockey Association and SPS Fuzion for today’s game to promote gender equity and empower the next generation of female leaders by offering access to live women’s sports experiences. Today’s referees both have Western Canadian roots with Alexandra Clarke and Cianna Murray from Saskatchewan. Fans can check out the Explore Edmonton photobooth in the Ford Hall concourse and look for the City of Edmonton Blueline Shootout on the ice during second intermission.
