Minnesota Frost Training Camp: Takeaways from Week One
News and notes from week one of Minnesota Frost training camp.
You wouldn't have heard it standing outside the Treasure Island building on Monday afternoon, observing the ordinary bustle of downtown St. Paul. But, if you took a short elevator ride up to the Tria Rink on the fifth floor, where the Minnesota Frost held their first full team practice, the energy was evident the moment the elevator doors opened; the defending champs are happy to be back.
"We've had players chomping at the bit to go,” head coach Ken Klee told The Ice Garden. “For me, it's just exciting to get our group; it's a new group and we're excited about it.”
The Frost opened training camp on Friday, November 7th, but were not together as a full team on the ice until Monday, November 10th, due to the rivalry series. The split schedule presented an interesting challenge to teams as they began camp without top players. Still, with all of the offseason turnover for the Frost, it may have been a blessing in disguise. “We had a few less bodies, a few less players, so I think maybe it helped in regards to evaluating our new players and what exactly we have or don't have," Klee said. “It actually helped a little bit because then I think a lot of our new players kind of got up to speed.”
If the opening practices of camp were good for evaluating the incoming talent and getting everyone settled, Monday and Tuesday were reminders of the returning talent. Team USA members Kelly Pannek, Taylor Heise, Grace Zumwinkle, Britta Curl-Salemme, Kendall Coyne-Schofield, and Lee Stecklein all returned to practice, and their return was noticeable. “Obviously, really great to have our national team players back this week," general manager Melissa Caruso told The Ice Garden. “The pace of practice has picked up a bit, but I've been really impressed with the group.”
Practices on Monday and Tuesday were filled with high-tempo drills focused on getting lots of puck touches, attacking in transition, and competing in small areas. It’s a delicate balance between providing incoming players the opportunity to be evaluated while also building chemistry amongst the group for the fast-approaching regular season.
"Yeah, that's the hardest thing with our job is that we would like to build a little bit of chemistry, but still it is an evaluation for a good number of players,” Klee said. “I think we have ten players basically vying for jobs this year. So we're trying to make sure we give them a fair evaluation, and it's tough in a week to be able to decide, but we don't make the schedule, we just play by it, so it's just part of it.”
Reid Lemker
The Frost will begin the regular season in less than a week. They take on the Toronto Sceptres at Grand Casino Arena on November 21st.
Defense Core Taking Shape
The Frost entered camp with only five signed defenders, meaning there were multiple holes to fill, including a starting spot in the opening night lineup. Unsigned players Madison Bizal, Brooke Becker, Cameron Sikich, and Ava Rinker are all in camp, looking to claim an open role. “I think the messaging for anyone coming in at this point was we want everyone ready to step in day one," general manager Melissa Caruso told The Ice Garden. "We have roles to fill. We want to see that you want to fill them.”
At practice on Tuesday, first-round pick Kendall Cooper was paired with Lee Stecklein, and second-year defender Mae Batherson was paired with offseason acquisition Sidney Morin. Madison Bizal and Brooke Becker played together, and Cameron Sikich and Ava Rinker cycled through with Natalie Buchbinder.
An Early Look at the Forward Lines
Roster spots are also up for grabs within the forward group, and much like the defense core, the Frost are looking for players that are ready to step in right away. “We're looking for people who will fit our culture, who are going to play hard and play fast and be really smart on the ice,” Caruso said.
On Tuesday, the forward lines began to take shape. As expected, it looks like Britta Curl-Salemme and Abby Hustler will get the first chance to fill a couple of open top-six spots. Curl-Salemme skated alongside Kelly Pannek and Kendall Coyne-Schofield on Tuesday, while Hustler skated with Taylor Heise and Grace Zumwinkle.
Reid Lemker
Tuesday also offered a glimpse of how the Frost may go about retooling their forward depth. Dominique Petrie centered Klara Hymlárová and Claire Butorac, while Anna Segedi was centering a line alongside Katy Knoll and unsigned camp invite Peyton Anderson. Alyssa Machado, Vanessa Upson, Madison Mashuga, and Kaitlyn O'Donohoe were rotating in as a group of four.
Draft Picks Find Their Footing
Training camp was the first time top draft picks Kendall Cooper, Abby Hustler, and Anna Segedi all took the ice as members of the Minnesota Frost.
Kendall Cooper's speed jumped out immediately. Cooper was able to use her skating to make a couple of nice offensive plays on Tuesday afternoon. Abby Hustler also had a strong showing; she looks to have all of the tools necessary to be a dominant power forward. Based upon Tuesday's practice, it looks like Anna Segedi will get a chance to stick at center, at least initially. Segedi may lack the traditional center size, but she had terrific faceoff numbers at St. Lawrence University and looked comfortable at center on Tuesday.
Morin Fitting Right in
It didn’t take long on Monday afternoon to understand why the Frost are so excited to have Sidney Morin on their team. Morin is an excellent skater, and throughout Monday's practice, she used her agility to defend in space and evade forecheckers. On Tuesday, she looked quite comfortable paired with Mae Batherson. Morin also ended practice on Tuesday with back-to-back shootout goals, including a silky smooth backhand finish; she appears to be fitting in nicely.
What's Next:
The Frost will need to finalize their roster by Wednesday, November 19th. Once the roster is cut down, the Frost will take the ice for their home opener against the Toronto Sceptres on November 21st.
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