Two consecutive championships by the Minnesota Frost haven’t dimmed Claire Butorac’s drive for a third.
“I signed (a one-year contract extension) on Friday,” said Butorac, who played for the Minnesota State women’s hockey team in college. “It’s exciting for me.”
Butorac (‘23) joined MSU alumni Brooke Bryant (‘23) and Charlotte Akervik (‘24) on the Frost’s playoff roster. The Frost defeated the Ottawa Charge three games to one, including a 2-1 victory to repeat as PWHL champions back in May.
Both Butorac and Bryant are forwards and have been Frost team members during both championships. Last year, during the PWHL’s inaugural season, Butorac scored the lone goal in a dramatic 1-0 double overtime victory in Game 4 of the semifinals. Akervik joined the Frost in a reserve role this season.
Fellow MSU alum Brittyn Fleming (‘22) also was on last year’s championship Frost team.
MSU alumni also played supporting staff roles for this year’s Frost. Nick Bryant served as team services manager and Blake Kruse as assistant equipment manager.
Despite the ongoing MSU women’s hockey presence in the growing PWHL, no Mavericks were selected in Tuesday’s 2025 draft. MSU women’s hockey coach Shari Dickerman was a bit surprised, knowing that “some of the players drafted” were similar in talent to her graduating Mavericks. But upcoming free agency offers, similar to what Butorac, Bryant and Akervik previously received, may come their way.
“There’s a bigger player pool now,” said Dickerman, as women’s hockey continues to grow at all levels. “The bottom’s come up. …There’s a lot of highly talented players out there.”
Butorac agreed.
“It’s definitely not the end of the road for them,” she said. “All those (MSU graduate) players are great in their own way.”
For Butorac, “hockey’s my only job.”
“I do coach,” said the Andover native. “Other than that, I’m practicing or working out all the time. That’s all I do.”
Akervik, an Eau Claire, Wisc. native, enjoyed a five-year career at MSU, leaving the program as the all-time leading scorer among defenders (22 goals, 35 assists). She’s not yet signed a Frost contract for next season, but she’s keeping busy after finishing her master’s in speech language pathology at MSU.
“It keeps my life balanced,” said Akervik, who’s working in a private speech practice in Eden Prairie as she awaits another possible PWHL season. And she’d welcome another Frost contract.
“It was a super fun organization to be a part of,” she notes. “It’d be great to be a part of it again.”
Akervik took in parts of the June 24 PWHL draft, which was held in Ottawa, which hosted a huge and vocal watch party.
“They’re a rowdy bunch,” said Akervik, noting the growing popularity of women’s hockey. “They’re all kind of super with fan support in the league.”
Bryant, a native of Linden, Calif., appeared in two playoff games for the Frost. In five seasons at MSU, she recorded 66 points (30 goals, 36 assists).
Each MSU alumnus appreciates moving from collegiate play into professional hockey opportunities.
“We were just so fortunate coming right out of college and into professional hockey,” Butorac. “I’m super excited. We have such a great culture going here in Minnesota.
“I love being home. There’s something about Minnesota that’s special.”