Lee Stecklein

Lee Ethel Stecklein (born April 23, 1994) is an American professional ice hockey player who is a defender for the Minnesota Frost of the Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL) and the United States national team. She is a four-time Olympic medalist, winning gold at the 2018 Winter Olympics and 2026 Winter Olympics and silver at the 2014 and 2022 games. Stecklein has won eight World Championship gold medals (2013, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2019, 2023, 2025) and two silver medals (2021, 2022), and was named the tournament's Best Defender in 2021. She is the only player to win both the NCAA national championship and World Championship in the same year three times.

Following the formation of the PWHL in 2023, Stecklein was one of the first three players to sign with Minnesota. She helped the Minnesota Frost win back-to-back Walter Cup championships in 2024 and 2025, leading all players in playoff scoring during the 2025 championship run. Previously, she won the Isobel Cup with the Minnesota Whitecaps in 2019, scoring the overtime winner and earning Playoff MVP honors. Stecklein was a founding player of the Professional Women's Hockey Players Association (PWHPA) in 2019 to advocate for a sustainable professional women's league, winning the PWHPA's championship cup in 2023 and earning Best Defender honors.

At the collegiate level, Stecklein won three NCAA championships with the Minnesota Golden Gophers (2013, 2015, 2016), serving as team captain her final two years and alternate in 2015.

Early life Born in Roseville, Minnesota, to Linda and Robb Stecklein, Lee was raised in Roseville with her siblings, brother Ross and sister Jill. Her mother was a soccer player for the University of Wisconsin from 1981 to 1984. Her brother Ross played ice hockey at St. John's University. She was a member of the U.S. Under-18 Select Team and represented the United States at the Under-18 World Championships in 2010 and 2012. Minnesota won the 2013 NCAA championship, with Stecklein contributing an assist in the 4–1 final victory over Harvard. She ranked fifth in the nation among defensemen with 24 points (4 goals, 20 assists).

Stecklein finished her career ranked eighth all-time at Minnesota in both career points (83) and career assists (65) among defensemen. she did not play for them due to her commitment to the U.S. national team ahead of the 2018 Olympics.

In the regular season, Stecklein recorded six assists in the first four games as the Whitecaps began their inaugural campaign with four consecutive wins over the Metropolitan Riveters. Paired with Amanda Boulier on defense, the duo combined for 11 points to form the highest-scoring defensive tandem in the league. The Whitecaps finished as regular season champions with a 12–4–0 record and sold out all ten home games at TRIA Rink.

In her lone season with the team, Stecklein helped the Whitecaps win the Isobel Cup, scoring the overtime winner in the championship game against the Beauts. Stecklein was named Playoff MVP after recording one goal, one assist, and four blocked shots in the final. She was named one of the team captains for the 4th NWHL All-Star Game earlier in the season.

PWHPA (2019–23) In 2019, following the collapse of the Canadian Women's Hockey League (CWHL), Stecklein joined more than 200 other prominent women's players in founding the Professional Women's Hockey Players Association (PWHPA), which vowed to boycott the NWHL with the goal of establishing a unified and financially stable professional league. Stecklein released a statement saying that it was not possible to make a "sustainable living in the current state of the professional game", and specifically noted the low salaries and lack of health insurance policies.

The PWHPA organized the Dream Gap Tour, a series of showcase games across North America. Stecklein played for the Minnesota-based team through the regional hub system. In February 2021, she played in a historic game at Madison Square Garden, marking both the first time professional women's hockey was played at the venue and the first professional women's hockey game broadcast live on television. The game was televised on NHL Network in the United States and Sportsnet in Canada. Stecklein also participated in Dream Gap Tour stops in Chicago, where she scored her first point of the 2021 tour on a power play goal against New Hampshire.

For the 2022–23 PWHPA season, Stecklein played for Team Harvey's, named after Hayley Wickenheiser. In the November 2022 showcase in Truro, Nova Scotia, she was named PWHPA Athlete of the Week after leading all defenders with seven points, including a four-point performance in one game. She was later named the first star of a 5–1 win over Team Scotiabank with one goal and three assists. Team Harvey's went undefeated during the Truro showcase. At the end of the 2022–23 season, Stecklein was named PWHPA Best Defender and won the championship cup.

Minnesota Frost (2023–present)

In 2023, the PWHPA and its partners announced the launch of the Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL). On September 6, 2023, Stecklein was one of the first three players to sign with PWHL Minnesota, later branded the Minnesota Frost, alongside national teammates Kendall Coyne Schofield and Kelly Pannek. Ahead of the team's inaugural season, Stecklein was named an alternate captain. Stecklein was voted as Minnesota's player representative for the PWHL Players Association, the league's labour union.

Stecklein scored her first goal with Minnesota on January 14, 2024, against New York. In the inaugural season, she recorded eight points in 24 regular season games, leading all Minnesota defensemen in ice time. The Frost finished as the fourth seed and defeated first-seeded Toronto Sceptres in the semifinals, completing a reverse sweep after losing the first two games. Minnesota won the inaugural Walter Cup championship, defeating Boston in five games. Stecklein contributed three assists in the ten playoff games. In the playoffs, Stecklein became the first player in PWHL history to record three points—two goals and an assist—in a single period during a Game 2 victory at Toronto.

International play Stecklein made her senior national team debut at the 2013 IIHF Women's World Championship, where she won a gold medal. The 2013 title marked the first time Stecklein won both the NCAA national championship and the IIHF World Women's Championship in the same year, a feat she would accomplish three times in her career (2013, 2015, 2016). Canada's Marie-Philip Poulin tied the game with 55 seconds remaining in regulation and scored the overtime winner. Stecklein led all American skaters in ice time with an average of 22:27 per game. The United States lost to Canada 3–2 in the gold medal game.

World Championships Stecklein represented the United States at the IIHF World Women's Championship in 2015, 2016, 2017, 2019, 2021, and 2022.

In total, Stecklein won seven World Championship gold medals and two silver medals. She also scored a goal in a 2–1 pool play victory over Canada.

Career statistics Regular season and playoffs

International

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Awards and honors