ST. PAUL, MINN. — It’s Reid Lemker here from The Ice Garden bringing you this week’s addition of Hockey Insider!
The PWHL awards and draft were held in Detroit last week, and Minnesota Frost forward Kelly Pannek took home plenty of hardware. Pannek met with the media in St. Paul, Minn., last Friday to reflect on her trophy haul and record-setting season.
Coming home with hardware
When Kelly Pannek took a seat next to Minnesota Frost general manager Melissa Caruso at Tria Rink in St. Paul last Friday, the table was already full of trophies. Pannek received three trophies at the PWHL awards in Detroit: one for leading the PWHL in points, one for being named a first-team All-Star, and one for being named Forward of the Year.
Pannek probably planned to add a few trophies to her trophy cabinet when she left for Detroit, but she returned home with more trophies than expected.
“I honestly didn’t know you got a trophy for most points or goals or whatever,” Pannek laughed. “I had no idea.”
Kelly Pannek’s trophy haul was well deserved. Last season, she became the first PWHL player to break 30 points in a regular season, setting a new single-season points record with 33. Pannek also led the league in goals with 16 and power-play goals with seven.
The offensive explosion last season saw Pannek rewarded with plenty of individual hardware in Detroit, but Pannek reiterated on Friday that individual awards are never her goal.
“Honestly, the forward of the year, I’ve never really thought about it. That’s never been a goal of mine in my off-season preparation or in season,” Pannek said. “I’m just trying to do whatever our team needs to do to win. It felt like throughout the year, I think the last few years, really, I think it’s been an expectation to be helpful and productive on the offensive end. This year, as Melissa said, things just seemed to click for me.”
Bouncing back
What makes Pannek’s 2025-26 campaign even more impressive is the fact that it came on the heels of a down year for Pannek offensively. In her second PWHL season, Pannek scored just three goals and 11 points in 30 regular-season games. Across her first two PWHL seasons, Pannek had scored seven goals and 26 points in 54 career PWHL regular-season games.
Last season, she scored 16 goals and 33 points in 30 games.
When I spoke to her earlier this season, Pannek credited her strong playoff performance in the 2024-2025 season with helping her build momentum into last season.
Whether or not she’s scoring goals, Pannek’s value to the Minnesota Frost goes far beyond just offense.
“I’ve really prided myself on being someone who can play in a lot of different scenarios, a lot of different situations, and really do whatever a team needs me to do. Whether that’s a first-line type of player, a fourth-line type of player, power play or penalty kill, or someone who is a supportive teammate. I’ve always known that I can excel at whatever I do, but to see that excelling in an offensive way this year, it is really energizing in a way as well,” Pannek said.
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Stability with the Minnesota Frost
Pannek will once again be asked to be an offensive leader for the Frost next season. Heading into the offseason, Pannek is preparing to build upon her record-breaking 2025-26 campaign.
“First and foremost, for me, it’s always just [about] staying healthy,” Pannek said. “I was pretty fortunate to stay healthy throughout the season. That’s the biggest thing for me is just putting myself in the best spot to then hit the ground running come season time. And then just trying to fine-tune some of those details. Whether it’s just fluidity in my shooting, being able to shoot in different ways, and having a variety of shots. I think I put myself in really good positions, but now kind of adding to that toolbox of how I can get shots through or around defenders in different ways.”
The Minnesota Frost signed Pannek to a three-year deal earlier this summer. As the PWHL enters a new chapter with 12 teams, Pannek is excited to build on her already accomplished career with the Minnesota Frost.
“I’m really proud to represent Minnesota and all the different stages of Minnesota hockey, and I think it’s just such a special place to grow up being a hockey player,” she said. “I really love what we’ve built, and I wanna keep continuing to build it here.”
Catching up on women’s hockey
Winners and losers of the PWHL offseason: Vancouver nails it, Toronto rocked by expansion by Hailey Salvian
Six thoughts on the six players drafted by the Minnesota Frost by Reid Lemker
The Montreal Victoire celebrate with their city by Kirsten Whelan
Years in the Making: An inside look at the PWHL’s 1st outside investment by Karissa Donkin
Who are the top PWHL free agents still available? Part I by The Ice Garden
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