Lee Stecklein
| Lee Stecklein | |||
|---|---|---|---|
|
Stecklein with PWHL Minnesota in 2024 | |||
| Born |
April 23, 1994 Roseville, Minnesota, U.S. | ||
| Height | 6 ft 0 in (183 cm) | ||
| Weight | 170 lb (77 kg; 12 st 2 lb) | ||
| Position | Defense | ||
| Shoots | Left | ||
| PWHL team Former teams |
Minnesota Frost Minnesota Whitecaps | ||
| National team | United States | ||
| Playing career | 2012–present | ||
Lee Ethel Stecklein (born April 23, 1994) is an American professional ice hockey defenseman 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 assistant in 2015.