| Ava Rinker | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Born | November 25, 2002 Elverson, Pennsylvania, U.S. | ||
| Height | 5 ft 4 in (163 cm) | ||
| Position | Defense | ||
| Shoots | Right | ||
| PWHL team | Minnesota Frost | ||
Ava Rinker (born November 25, 2002) is an American ice hockey defenceman serving as a reserve player for the Minnesota Frost of the Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL). She played college ice hockey for the UConn Huskies. She was selected 30th overall by the Minnesota Frost in the 2025 PWHL Draft.
Rinker is from Elverson, Pennsylvania. Her interest in hockey was piqued by watching a Hershey Bears game, after which she started playing street hockey with her brother. She soon was playing mites with boys. [1]
Rinker played in the Philadelphia Jr. Flyers girls' hockey program before enrolling at UConn. [2] She played for the Jr. Flyers for six years, served a two-time captain, and was their first Division I recruit and first PWHL draftee. [1]
Rinker appeared in all 144 games across four seasons at UConn. As a senior assistant captain in 2024–25, she posted career highs with 20 points (3 goals, 17 assists) in 36 games and was named to the Hockey East First All-Star Team. She also earned Hockey East Defender of the Month (February). [3] [4] [5]
On June 24, 2025, Rinker was drafted in the fourth round, 30th overall, by the Minnesota Frost. [6] Following pre-season training camp, she was announced as a reserve player for the Frost prior to the 2025–26 season. [7]
Rinker's brother, AJ, uses a whelechair and plays for the Flyers' PowerPlay team, a power wheelchair floor hockey team. [1]
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 2021–22 | UConn | Hockey East | 35 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 8 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2022–23 | UConn | Hockey East | 35 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 12 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2023–24 | UConn | Hockey East | 38 | 3 | 10 | 13 | 15 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2024–25 | UConn | Hockey East | 36 | 3 | 17 | 20 | 18 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| NCAA totals | 144 | 8 | 37 | 45 | 53 | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
| Honour | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| College | ||
| Hockey East First All-Star Team | 2025 | [10] |