Frost First-Round Pick Kendall Cooper Should Fill A Defensive Void

The Minnesota Frost are back-to-back Walter Cup Champions, but they lost several key players in the 2025 Expansion Draft. The Frost chose Kendall Cooper in the 1st round, 6th overall, to build back their defensive unit and add immediate depth to their roster. Minnesota signed Cooper to a 2-year, standard player agreement. 

Minnesota initially protected defenseman Lee Stecklein and forwards Kendall Coyne-Schofield and Taylor Heise. During the initial expansion signing window, PWHL Vancouver poached defensemen Claire Thompson and Sophie Jaques. Vancouver came back for seconds during the expansion draft and signed forwards Brooke McQuigge and Denisa Křížová to their team, further hampering the Frost offensively. 

The Frost opted for a defenseman for their first pick, likely because Thompson and Jaques left a meaningful void in the defensive zone.

Thompson scored 31 goals and 56 assists over 129 games at Princeton. She also had 4 goals and 14 assists during the 2024-25 PWHL regular season, as well as 6 assists in the playoffs. Jaques scored 61 goals and 95 assists over 172 games at Ohio State University and helped out Minnesota with 7 goals and 15 assists this past season, along with 2 goals and 5 assists during the playoffs. 

Cooper has comparable college stats and a rocket of a shot. She played for 5 years at Quinnipiac University, where she scored 33 goals and 83 assists over 158 games. Thompson and Jaques already have multiple professional seasons, and it will take Cooper time to develop. Still, there is ample evidence that she has considerable upside. 

The Frost will contend for a third championship if she’s still able to pick corners like this in the PWHL:

Cooper was the 2024-25 recipient of the Wayne Dean Sportsmanship award and earned a gold and silver medal playing for Team Canada’s U18 team. Canada has also named her one of the top 3 players for the U18 Worlds twice. 

During a post-draft interview with Cooper, Frost GM Melissa Caruso explained that Minnesota needed to rebuild its core defense and add replacement forwards, and specifically was looking for players with speed, strength, hockey smarts, and physicality. Caruso felt that Cooper had that offensive ability and great hockey IQ they were looking for, and anticipates Cooper to be an “immediate contributor” on the blue line.

Her physical speed and quick decisions are evident in her playing style. In this clip, Cooper picks up a pass and makes an evasive move, but holds onto the puck. She decides to make a pass down low because she doesn’t have a good shooting lane, and then supports her teammate, Maddy Samoskevich, by giving her a takeover passing lane and drawing a Union College forward with her. In doing so, she gave Samoskevich space to shoot and score, earning Cooper an assist. 

The PWHL is one of the few leagues that allow body checking, which makes for a much more physical game and can be a challenging transition for recent college graduates who have not previously played with body checking. Cooper noted in the interview that she had played boys' hockey growing up and had experienced a year of hitting. Up against players as tall as 6’2, she learned to keep her head up and deal with the physicality of the game. Cooper is also 5'8", which will help her hold her own against more seasoned players. 

Minnesota needs players who can grow with the team and eventually become leaders. While Cooper will be a rookie for the 2025-26 season, she could potentially serve as a role model for younger players in the future. Cooper discussed her captainship for Quinnipiac as a fifth-year player on the Roar podcast and how she helped guide 14 new players on the roster. When asked about her role as captain, Cooper stressed the importance of “setting an example both on and off the ice” and utilizing her assistant captains to help new players adapt. 

She’s coming from a talented team and a winning program. Quinnipiac went 22-12-4 in the 2024-25 season and made it to the ECAC quarterfinals. Being able to play at a high level for 60 minutes and dig in to make the play in key moments is a skill in itself that players on winning teams develop. Cooper’s experience with 60-minute hockey at Quinnipiac will help her adjust to the Frost and PWHL level. 

Minnesota finished the 2024-25 season ranked third in power play percentage at 17.9%, trailing the Toronto Sceptres and New York Sirens, which had winning percentages of 25.8% and 18.5%, respectively. The Frost have lost some of the players who helped contribute to their success on the power play, and they have room to improve from last season. Hopefully, Cooper will also be able to play that role. 

Here are a few more of her top plays at Quinnipiac: 

The Frost may have lost key defenseman Thompson and Jaques during the PWHL expansion process. However, they capitalized on the regular draft by choosing Cooper as their top pick. Cooper’s strength, speed, and hockey IQ will likely make her an integral part of the team in the 2025-26 season, and potentially a member of their leadership in future seasons.