Walter Cup Champion Dominique Petrie Returns to Southern California to Inspire the Next Generation of Players

The Minnesota Frost’s Dominique Petrie had a whirlwind week. 

It began with an appearance at the ESPY Awards ceremony, then continued with taking the Walter Cup on a hike up to the famous Hollywood sign and a tour of the Hollywood Walk of Fame. There, she stopped to take a photo with the star of trailblazer and PWHL advisory board member Billie Jean King. She also visited the Los Angeles Lakers’ facility, appeared on Access Hollywood, and threw out the first pitch at the Los Angeles Dodgers game.  

Even in the midst of all the glitz and glamour of touring around Los Angeles, Petrie made time to reconnect with the community that made her into the Walter Cup champion she is now, with visits to meet fans at both the Anaheim Ducks’ and Los Angeles Kings’ practice facilities last week. 

Petrie noted how momentous it was to have meet-and-greet events with fans back home in California. “To see the local community come out and support me and my achievement and women’s hockey as a whole has been cool and special for me,” Petrie told The Ice Garden after her meet-and-greet in Irvine, Calif. “[It’s] also important for me to give back to the community and the Ducks organization that has provided me so much along the way.” 

Petrie met members of the Junior Ducks, Lady Ducks, and Junior Gulls teams throughout the event. They were the same teams that helped her grow into the player that eventually represented the United States for three consecutive U18 tournaments from 2017 to 2019 and that led to her playing collegiate hockey at Harvard and Clarkson before being drafted by the Frost in 2024.

By returning home with the Walter Cup, Petrie said she hopes to inspire the next generation of hockey players in the state. She also returned to an organization that helped her development and allowed her to reach her goal of playing at the next level. 

She said she hopes that she can be a testament to players and show them where they can play and what they can accomplish. “To be able to bring this back and show this is the league we have, this is what we built, and this is what they can now become too is cool and special.” she said. 

As she made time to talk to every fan she came across, Petrie met young fans eager to talk to her and ask questions. She also met a former Lady Ducks player who committed to play at Harvard like she did. The moment was made better when the two were joined by Crimson hockey alum (and Petrie’s close friends) Emma Buckles and Keely Moy for a photo opportunity. The support from her friends, some of whom flew in for the event, meant a lot to Petrie.

“Being surrounded by people that love you and care for you and are in your corner from day one; through the ups [and] downs, it's very special, and I'm very glad I'm able to have them here,” she said. 

It was a full-circle moment when Petrie’s youth coach and former NHLer Craig Johnson paid a visit to see his former player in Irvine. “[He] came out here and was able to support me and get some pictures and tell me how proud he was of me, which was special,” Petrie said. 

The fun didn’t stop there. The following day, after numerous stops around the LA area, Petrie visited the Kings’ practice facility in El Segundo. The Kings provided the Stanley Cup to hang alongside the Walter Cup that day, allowing fans to see both trophies from the top men’s and women’s hockey leagues in North America.  

Petrie even met the littlest of fans – giving her the opportunity to place a baby in the Walter Cup at the suggestion of an eager mom – and was also able to meet members of the LA Lions, the girl’s hockey team run by the Kings. Though there are no NCAA Division I college hockey teams in the area or the surrounding states and no professional women’s hockey teams either (…at least, not yet), fans were still out in full support of the Frost and the PWHL, which Petrie said was awesome to see.  

It raised the question: could the PWHL expand to California at some point? Petrie said she has her fingers crossed that eventually the league can make its way into the state. She hopes that it can start with a Takeover Tour stop where fans can show out to let the league know hockey belongs in the Golden State. There aren’t mentions of any more expansions for the league yet, so fans will need to remain patient.  

Being back home where her hockey journey began and where she trains in the offseason was a significant moment for the 24-year-old who, though she didn’t have a pro women’s league to look up to growing up, understands the importance of bringing the Cup and representing the league to the fans. 

“It's so important too for young girls to be able to see it and dream it and then know that they too can become it. [I] hope that I maybe in a small way have been able to help make an impact,” she said. “It's special and it makes me smile every time that I can see them show up in our Frost stuff or even just their own stuff, and tell me a little bit about their stories, and how they one day hope to be where I am.” 

From her time playing with boys in California to a successful collegiate career to winning the Walter Cup in her first professional season, Petrie is glad to give back and grateful for the support she continues to receive from former coaches, teammates, and the organization itself. She said they push her to be her best and helped her get to where she is now which holds a special place in her heart. 

As participation in girls' hockey continues to rise, Petrie was happy to offer advice to those who are looking to follow in her footsteps, whether that’s playing in college, on a national team, or in the pros. 

“Work incredibly hard. Your work ethic is one of the best things that you can do. If you have a good attitude, you put in the effort, you show up every day and you give it your best, it's going to reward you in some way, shape or form,” she said. “Hockey's a game that gives so much back to you too, so just enjoy it, have fun with it, make so many memories.” 

The PWHL’s third season begins later this fall, with Petrie rejoining the Frost in Minnesota for her second pro season. But for now, amid a chaotic week, the forward thought about an 8-year-old Dominique who she said would be looking at her with admiration. 

“It would be a little bit of a pinch me moment. We didn't have this when I was growing up. There was no trophy. There was no PWHL, I didn't really know what it was to play at the next level; all we had was the Olympics,” she said. 

“My 8-year-old self would be looking up to me right now, smiling from ear to ear and enjoying the whole moment and that I was able to do this.”