Minnesota Gophers Women's Hockey at Milan Olympics

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Four current hockey players for Minnesota Gophers are headed to the Milan Olympics:

 

[Ski U Mah Gopher]

They will come home with 2 medals.

Murphy, and one of the other three will get bronze.

 

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19 year old defender Chloe Primerano of Canada was assumed by many to make the Olympics but didn't, maybe because Canada is loaded. She would have been the youngest player in over a decade.

Was Chloe Primerano SNUBBED from the Canadian women's Olympic hockey roster? | #CBCSports

Watch Live sports on CBC Sports' website here: https://www.cbcsports.caCheck out all the latest Olympic news and video here: https://www.cbc.ca/sports/olympics

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Abbey Murphy produced one of the best highlights of the 2026 Milan Cortina Games so far.

WATCH: Abbey Murphy's epic no-look pass sets up goal for USA women's hockey vs. Canada

Team USA's Abbey Murphy produced one of the best highlights of the 2026 Milan Cortina Games so far.

www.nbcchicago.com

Still more games ahead...
At the 2026 Milan Winter Olympics, the University of Minnesota is represented by nine current and former women's hockey players competing across four different national teams. Team USA's early dominance has been fueled by several Gopher standouts, most notably Abbey Murphy, who recorded three assists in a key victory over Canada.

Team USA Performance
Team USA remains unbeaten in preliminary play, secured by a veteran core of former Gophers and the explosive play of current senior Abbey Murphy.

Player	Status	2026 Olympic Highlights
Abbey Murphy	Current Senior	Leads Gopher contributors with 3 assists in the 5-0 win over Canada.
Taylor Heise	Alumna ('23)	Making her Olympic debut; impressed in a 5-0 shutout against Finland.
Kelly Pannek	Alumna ('19)	Playing a leading veteran role in her third Olympics; key in the opening win over Czechia.
Lee Stecklein	Alumna ('17)	The "dean" of Gophers, competing in her fourth Olympics as a defensive anchor.
Grace Zumwinkle	Alumna ('23)	Competing in her second Olympics; a consistent offensive threat on the U.S. roster.

International Gophers
Four additional players with Gopher ties are representing other nations in the tournament.

• Finland: Senior defender Nelli Laitinen is competing in her second Olympics after helping Finland win bronze in 2022. She entered the Games as one of the top-scoring defenders in the NCAA.
• Czechia: Current freshman Tereza Plosová is making her Olympic debut, joined by alumna Natálie Mlýnková ('25). Both were key participants in Czechia's opening game against the United States.
• Sweden: Senior forward Josefin Bouveng is making her second Olympic appearance for Sweden. She entered the tournament on the strength of a 25-game point streak during the current Gopher season.

As of February 12, 2026, these athletes are still in the midst of tournament play, with the women's hockey competition scheduled to conclude on February 19.

 

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Summary of Performance Impact

• Abbey Murphy (USA): Currently the most productive active Gopher in Milan. Her playmaking has been a catalyst for Team USA's undefeated run, particularly her ability to draw penalties and create chances in transition.
• Nelli Laitinen (Finland): A "pure" defensive anchor, Laitinen has been Finland's primary minute-eater on the blue line. While her scoring has been quieter than her NCAA-leading defensive stats, she remains the cornerstone of Finland's transition game

Team Czechia: Gopher Performance
Czechia’s offense has heavily featured Gopher talent, particularly as they secured a historic first-ever win over Finland in the preliminary round.

• Natálie Mlýnková (Alumna, '24): She has been the offensive engine for Czechia, leading the team with 4 points (3 goals, 1 assist) in four games. By scoring her second goal of the tournament against Finland, she became the first Czech woman in history to record three career Olympic goals.
• Tereza Plosová (Active Freshman): In her Olympic debut, Plosová has been highly efficient. She scored a critical goal in the third period against Switzerland to give Czechia a 3-1 lead, though they eventually fell in a shootout.

Team Sweden: Gopher Performance
Sweden completed a perfect 4-0 sweep of the preliminary round in Group B, with their Gopher representative playing a key role in their final group game.

• Josefin Bouveng (Active Senior): A two-time Olympian and the first Gopher ever to represent Sweden at the Games, Bouveng recorded a goal and an assist in a 4-0 shutout of Japan to secure the Group B title. She has been a fixture on Sweden's top offensive units throughout the tournament.

Based on actual game performance through the quarterfinal round on February 13, 2026, the University of Wisconsin is currently the top-performing NCAA program in terms of raw production from active student-athletes.

Wisconsin’s Caroline Harvey is currently the highest-scoring active NCAA player in the tournament, while Ohio State and Minnesota also feature key contributors with significant point totals.

Top Performing Active NCAA Players (Stats through Feb 13, 2026)

Rank	Player	University	Country	Points (G-A)	Key Performance Note
1	Caroline Harvey	Wisconsin	USA	8 (2-6)	Set U.S. Olympic record for points by a defender.
2	Abbey Murphy	Minnesota	USA	5 (0-5)	Recorded 3 assists in the historic 5-0 win over Canada.
3	Joy Dunne	Ohio State	USA	4 (2-2)	Scored in her Olympic debut; youngest player on Team USA.
4	Hilda Svensson	Ohio State	SWE	4 (G/A N/A)	Leads active NCAA players for international teams.
5	Laila Edwards	Wisconsin	USA	4 (2-2)	Scored vs. Italy (QF) and vs. Canada in prelims.
6	Matilde Fantin	Penn State	ITA	3 (3-0)	Led Italy in goals during their first-ever Olympic run.

School Performance Summary

• University of Wisconsin: Currently dominating with 12 combined points from active players Harvey and Edwards. Harvey is operating at a 1.6 points-per-game pace, leading the entire U.S. team in scoring.
• Ohio State University: Producing elite efficiency with Joy Dunne and Hilda Svensson both averaging 1.0 point-per-game through the preliminary rounds.
• University of Minnesota: Abbey Murphy leads all active NCAA players in assists (5), functioning as a primary playmaker on Team USA's top lines.
• Penn State University: While having fewer players, Matilde Fantin has been the most efficient pure goal-scorer among active NCAA underclassmen, netting 3 goals for the host nation.

Top Performers (Alumnae)

• Taylor Heise ('23): Playing in her first Olympics, Heise recorded her third point of the Games during today's quarterfinal. She has transitioned from being a primary scorer at Minnesota to a high-level playmaker in Milan, notably setting up a key counter-attack goal against Finland earlier in the tournament.
• Kelly Pannek ('19): The three-time Olympian has been a steady veteran presence. She was the first American with Gopher ties to record a point in Milan, an assist in the opening win over Czechia.
• Grace Zumwinkle ('23): A two-time Olympian and former PWHL Rookie of the Year, Zumwinkle remains a consistent offensive threat in the U.S. top-six rotation.
• Lee Stecklein ('17): Competing in her fourth Olympic Games, Stecklein continues to anchor the U.S. defensive corps with the most experience on the roster.
• Natálie Mlýnková: Representing Czechia, the former Gopher forward has been one of her country's most productive international players, though Czechia fell to the U.S. in the opening round.

Summary of "Gopher Ties" in Milan

Player	Status	Olympic Team	Notable Milan Performance
Taylor Heise	Alumna	USA	3 points; key playmaker in transition.
Kelly Pannek	Alumna	USA	Veteran center; 1st American Gopher with a point in 2026.
Lee Stecklein	Alumna	USA	Team leader in Olympic experience (4th Games).
Abbey Murphy	Active	USA	Leads all active NCAA players with 5 assists.

The "Gopher Connection" remains one of the strongest in the tournament.

 

[maroonfive]

It is embarrassing how far this program has fallen behind Wisconsin and Ohio State. It is sad. It is all about National Championships and we will not be winning one anytime soon. Even being rated number 3 is not good enough.