Kelly Pannek

Kelly Pannek
Pannek with PWHL Minnesota in 2024
Born	(1995-12-29) December 29, 1995 (age 29) Plymouth, Minnesota, United States
Height	5 ft 8 in (173 cm)
Weight	150 lb (68 kg; 10 st 10 lb)
Position	Forward
Shoots	Right
PWHL team Former teams	Minnesota Frost PWHPA Minnesota Golden Gophers
National team	United States
Playing career	2014–present
Medal record Olympic Games 2018 Pyeongchang Team 2022 Beijing Team World Championships 2017 United States 2019 Finland 2023 Canada 2025 Czechia 2021 Canada 2022 Denmark 2024 United States

Kelly Pannek (born December 29, 1995) is an American professional ice hockey player for the Minnesota Frost of the Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL). She previously played in the Professional Women's Hockey Players Association.

Career

In high school, she set the state record for the quickest natural hat trick, scoring three goals in 22 seconds in a 2012 game. ^{[1] [2]}

Across 157 games for the University of Minnesota in the NCAA, Pannek put up 186 points. In 2017, she was a Patty Kazmaier Award Finalist after scoring 62 points in 39 games and winning the national championship for the second year in a row. After taking leave for 2017–18 to train with the US Olympic team, she returned to captain the university in 2018–19. ^{[3] [4]}

She was drafted 4th overall by the Minnesota Whitecaps in the 2018 NWHL Draft. ^[5] After graduating, she joined the PWHPA. ^[6]

Pannek playing for Team USA in 2017

International

She was first invited to the senior team's development camp in December 2016. ^[7] She would then participate at the 2017 IIHF Women's World Championship, as well as the 2018 and 2019 World Championships.

She was a member of the gold-medal-winning American team at the 2018 Winter Olympics, where she picked up two assists in five games, including a long pass to Monique Lamoureux for the game-tying goal in the gold medal game, and finished in the tournament's top 10 for faceoff percentage. ^{[8] [9]}

On January 2, 2022, Pannek was named to Team USA's roster to represent the United States at the 2022 Winter Olympics. ^[10]

Awards and honors

• 2016-17 AHCA-CCM Women's University Division I First-Team All-American ^[11]
• 2025 Walter Cup Champion ^[12]

Personal life

Pannek attended Benilde-St. Margaret's high school, where she also played soccer, being named 2013 Minnesota Ms. Soccer. ^{[13] [14]}

She has a bachelor's degree in finance.

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

				Regular season						Playoffs
Season	Team	League		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
2014–15	Minnesota Golden Gophers	WCHA		41	14	30	44	21		—	—	—	—	—
2015–16	Minnesota Golden Gophers	WCHA		40	23	26	49	14		—	—	—	—	—
2016–17	Minnesota Golden Gophers	WCHA		39	19	43	62	16		—	—	—	—	—
2018–19	Minnesota Golden Gophers	WCHA		37	16	15	31	6		—	—	—	—	—
2019–20	Minnesota	PWHPA		—	—	—	—	—		—	—	—	—	—
2020–21	Minnesota	PWHPA		6	2	5	7	2		—	—	—	—	—
2022–23	Team Scotiabank	PWHPA		20	4	7	11	2		—	—	—	—	—
2023–24	PWHL Minnesota	PWHL		24	4	12	16	2		10	0	2	2	0
2024–25	Minnesota Frost	PWHL		30	3	8	11	12		8	2	3	5	2
NCAA totals				157	72	114	186	57		—	—	—	—	—
PWHL totals				54	7	20	27	14		18	2	5	7	2

Sources: ^{[15] [16]}

International

Year	Team	Event	Result		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
2013	United States	U18			5	3	2	5	0
2017	United States	WC			5	0	0	0	0
2018	United States	OG			5	0	2	2	0
2019	United States	WC			7	2	3	5	6
2021	United States	WC			7	2	3	5	0
2022	United States	OG			7	2	4	6	2
2022	United States	WC			7	3	1	4	6
2023	United States	WC			7	0	1	1	27
2024	United States	WC			7	0	0	0	6
2025	United States	WC			7	4	4	8	0
Junior totals					5	3	2	5	0
Senior totals					59	13	18	31	47

Sources: ^[16]

References

1. Paitich, Aaron (January 17, 2012). "Pannek scores 'surreal' hat trick in one shift". Star Tribune . Archived from the original on January 30, 2022. Retrieved May 25, 2020.
2. Kleven, Greg (April 3, 2014). "Kelly Pannek garners another BSM honor in Athena Award". hometownsource.com.
3. "Kelly Pannek - Women's Hockey". University of Minnesota Athletics. Archived from the original on August 23, 2021. Retrieved May 25, 2020.
4. Mizutani, Dane (February 1, 2019). "Olympic gold medalist Kelly Pannek fighting pressure in last chance as a Gopher". Twin Cities Pioneer Press. Archived from the original on February 3, 2019. Retrieved May 25, 2020.
5. "Five Minutes with Kelly Pannek". University of Minnesota Athletics.
6. "Alumni Spotlight: Kelly Pannek". Archived from the original on August 14, 2022. Retrieved May 25, 2020.
7. "NCAA Highlight: Kelly Pannek". September 13, 2018. Archived from the original on September 27, 2020. Retrieved May 25, 2020.
8. "2017 World Championship roster" (PDF). IIHF . Archived (PDF) from the original on February 20, 2018. Retrieved December 30, 2017.
9. Kennedy, Syd (August 18, 2018). "2018 Women's Hockey Top 25 Under 25 | No. 25 - 23: Caitrin Lonergan & Laura Stacey; Kelly Pannek; Renata Fast". The Ice Garden. Archived from the original on October 22, 2021. Retrieved May 25, 2020.
10. "U.S. women with 13 returnees". IIHF . January 2, 2022. Archived from the original on January 17, 2022. Retrieved January 2, 2022.
11. "2017 All-American Teams". ahcahockey.com. Archived from the original on May 13, 2021. Retrieved May 13, 2021.
12. "Minnesota Frost capture second Walter Cup title". Sportsnet.ca. May 26, 2025. Retrieved May 26, 2025.
13. "Kelly Pannek". teamusa.usahockey.com. Archived from the original on January 3, 2020. Retrieved May 25, 2020.
14. "Penguins Podcast: The Scoop with Team USA Women's Hockey". November 18, 2019. Archived from the original on March 5, 2021. Retrieved May 25, 2020.
15. "Lee Stecklein: Career Statistics". USCHO.com. Retrieved February 11, 2024.
16. "Playing profile: Lee Stecklein". Elite Prospects. Retrieved September 15, 2025.

External links

• Biographical information and career statistics from Eliteprospects.com , or  ThePWHL.com