In Our Collection – Minnesota Frost Maddie Rooney’s Signed Goalie Stick

In Our Collection shares the pieces acquired by Ramsey County Historical Society.

The collection contains tens of thousands of pieces, including archives, books, objects, and photographs, which are maintained by Director of Collections and Exhibitions, Mollie Spillman, in downtown St. Paul.

PWHL Minnesota—later named the Minnesota Frost—joined the Professional Women’s Hockey League on August 29, 2023, filling the void left by the Minnesota Whitecaps, a club that played in the now-defunct Premier Hockey Federation.

Their first signings included Kendall Coyne Schofield, Kelly Pannek, Lee Stecklein, and Taylor Heise, leading them to a fourth seed league spot in their inaugural year.

Like many other PWHL charter franchises, Minnesota powered through without branding for their first season. Before the second season commenced, they were given the name Frost by the PWHL to honor the state’s “deep-rooted love for the ice.” The Frost went on to win the PWHL’s first Walter Cup championship in 2024.

In 2024, the Minnesota Frost donated four items from the 2024 playoff games to RCHS. Maddie Rooney’s goalie stick is one of these items. It was signed by many of the players who played in the inaugural season, including all four goalies. RCHS sought items to document the history of our professional women’s hockey team that plays in the heart of Ramsey County.

Signed by:
Claire Butorac, Sydney Brodt, Kelly Pannek, Clair Degeorge, Brooke Bryant, Brittyn Fleming, Liz Schepers, Abby Boreen, Taylor Heise, Denisa Křížová, Lee Stecklein, Nikki Nightengale, Sophie Jaques, Maggie Flaherty, Natalie Buchbinder, Dominique Kremer, Amanda Leveille, Nicole Hensley, Lauren Bench, Maddie Rooney

Photos by Youa Vang