Kirsten Simms

Last updated

Kirsten Simms
St. Cloud State Huskies at Wisconsin Badgers women's ice hockey IMG 7932 (Kirsten Simms).jpg
Simms playing with the University of Wisconsin in February 2024
Born (2004-08-31) August 31, 2004 (age 21)
Plymouth, Michigan, United States
Height 5 ft 6 in (168 cm)
Position Forward
Shoots Right
WCHA team University of Wisconsin
National teamFlag of the United States.svg  United States
Playing career 2022–present
Medal record
World Championships
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 2025 Czechia
Silver medal icon (S initial).svg 2024 United States
World U18 Championships
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 2020 Slovakia
Silver medal icon (S initial).svg 2022 United States

Kirsten Simms (born August 31, 2004) is an American college ice hockey forward for the University of Wisconsin of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and member of the United States women's national ice hockey team. [1] She was named Most Outstanding Player at the 2025 NCAA tournament after scoring two dramatic goals—a game-tying penalty shot with 18 seconds remaining in regulation and the overtime winner—to lead Wisconsin to their eighth national championship. [2]

Contents

At Wisconsin, Simms is a two-time NCAA national champion (2023, 2025) and has established herself as one of the most prolific scorers in the nation. [1] In her sophomore season (2023–24), she led the NCAA in scoring with 75 points (36 goals, 39 assists) in 39 games, posting a 1.97 points-per-game average that ranked in the top-10 in program history. [3] She was named WCHA Player of the Year and Forward of the Year, earned First-Team All-American honors, and was a Top-3 finalist for the Patty Kazmaier Award. [4] Through three collegiate seasons, Simms has recorded 139 points in 117 games, averaging 1.19 points per game. [1] She scored game-winning goals in both of Wisconsin's NCAA championship victories (2023, 2025). [5]

Internationally, Simms has represented the United States at two IIHF World Women's U18 Championships, winning gold in 2020 and silver in 2022 as alternate captain. [1] She made her senior-level international debut at the 2024 World Championship, where she scored a dramatic overtime winner against Canada in her first senior-level goal and finished with four points in seven games as Team USA won silver. [6] Simms added a gold medal at the 2025 World Championship. [7]

Playing career

College

Simms began her collegiate career for the University of Wisconsin during the 2022–23 season. [1] During her freshman year, she led all freshman in goals with 16 goals and 16 assists in 41 games. She was named the WCHA Rookie of the Month for the month of December 2022, after she recorded seven points in five games during the month. [8] She scored the game-winning goal against Ohio State during the National Championship game at the 2023 NCAA Division I women's ice hockey tournament, helping Wisconsin win their seventh National Championship. [9] She was subsequently named to the NCAA All-Tournament Team. [10] Following the season she was named to the USCHO All-Rookie Team and WCHA All-Rookie Team. [11] [12]

During the 2023–24 season, in her sophomore year, she led the nation in scoring with 36 goals and 39 assists in 36 games for 71 points. [13] Her 1.97 points per game led the NCAA, and ranked top-ten in program history. She led Wisconsin with nine game-winning goals, which ranked second in the NCAA. Following an outstanding season, she was named to the All-WCHA first team, and named WCHA Forward of the Year and Player of the Year. [14] She was also named a top-three finalist for the Patty Kazmaier Award. [15]

During the 2024–25 season, in her junior year, she recorded 25 goals and 47 assists in 41 games. During the championship game of the 2025 NCAA Division I women's ice hockey tournament, against Ohio State, she scored the game-tying goal on a penalty shot with 18 seconds left in the game to force overtime. She then scored the game-winning goal, helping Wisconsin win their eighth national championship. [16] She was subsequently named tournament Most Outstanding Player and named to the NCAA All-Tournament team. [17]

International play

Junior

Simms represented the United States at the 2020 IIHF World Women's U18 Championship, where she recorded two assists in five games as Team USA won a gold medal. [1] She returned to the U-18 World Championship at the 2022 tournament, held at LaBahn Arena in Madison, Wisconsin. [18] She served as alternate captain and recorded five assists in five games, helping the United States win a silver medal. [19] [1]

Senior

Simms made her senior-level international debut at the 2024 World Championship in Utica, New York, at age 19 as one of four college newcomers to Team USA's roster. [6] She was placed on an "all-rookie line" alongside Wisconsin teammate Laila Edwards and Ohio State's Joy Dunne. [6] [20] In the final game of the preliminary round on April 8, 2024, Simms scored her first senior-level international goal—a dramatic overtime winner against Canada to give the United States a 1–0 victory and clinch the Group A title. [6] [20] Simms scored 3:38 into the three-on-three overtime period, converting a three-on-one break after Canada's Brianne Jenner fell in the U.S. zone. [20] Caroline Harvey led the rush up the left wing and centered the puck to Simms, who fired a shot that beat Canadian goaltender Ann-Renée Desbiens five-hole despite having her stick pulled from behind. [20] The Americans outshot Canada 7–0 in the overtime period in front of a sellout crowd at the Adirondack Bank Center. [21] "Obviously, a super surreal moment," Simms said after the game. "It still doesn't feel like it happened." [6] The victory marked revenge for the Americans, who had lost four straight games to Canada in the Rivalry Series earlier that winter. [6] Simms finished the 2024 World Championship with two goals and two assists for four points in seven games as the United States won a silver medal. [22]

Simms returned to the World Championship at the 2025 tournament in České Budějovice, Czech Republic, where she recorded two assists in four games as the United States won a gold medal. [23] The Americans defeated Canada 4–3 in overtime in the gold medal game, with Tessa Janecke scoring the game-winning goal. [24]

On December 11, 2025, Simms scored a goal in a 10–4 United States victory over Canada in Edmonton, Alberta, in the third game of the 2025 Rivalry Series. [25] The game marked the first time the Canadian women's national ice hockey team had allowed 10 goals in a loss to the United States. [25]

On January 2, 2026, she was named to team USA's roster to compete at the 2026 Winter Olympics. [26]

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

Regular season Playoffs
Season TeamLeagueGP G A Pts PIM GPGAPtsPIM
2022–23 University of Wisconsin WCHA 4116163225—————
2023–24 University of WisconsinWCHA3933427524—————
2024–25 University of WisconsinWCHA4125477218—————
NCAA totals1217410517967—————

International

YearTeamEventResultGPGAPtsPIM
2020 United States U18 Gold medal icon.svg50224
2022 United StatesU18Silver medal icon.svg50552
2024 United States WC Silver medal icon.svg722427
2025 United StatesWCGold medal icon.svg722427
Junior totals100776
Senior totals722427

Awards and honors

HonorsYear
College
USCHO All-Rookie Team 2023 [1]
NCAA All-Tournament Team 2023
WCHA All-Rookie Team2023 [27]
All-WCHA First Team 2024
WCHA Player of the Year2024 [28]
WCHA Forward of the Year2024
CCM/AHCA First Team All-American2024 [29]
NCAA All-Tournament Team 2024 [30]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Kirsten Simms Bio". uwbadgers.com. Retrieved March 24, 2024.
  2. ↑ Haase, Nicole (March 23, 2025). "Ohio State falls to Wisconsin in bid to repeat as NCAA women's hockey national champion". The Columbus Dispatch. Retrieved March 23, 2025.
  3. ↑ Lucas, Mike (March 15, 2024). "Badgers women enter hockey playoffs with No. 1 scorer in NCAA". The Capital Times. Retrieved March 17, 2024.
  4. ↑ Stewart, Mark (March 6, 2024). "Wisconsin hockey players Kirsten Simms, Caroline Harvey earn top honors from WCHA". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Retrieved March 17, 2024.
  5. ↑ Stewart, Mark (March 20, 2023). "Wisconsin women's hockey blanks Ohio State to win its 7th national title". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Retrieved March 17, 2024.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Watch: Plymouth's Kirsten Simms scores OT goal to beat Canada at hockey worlds". Detroit News. April 9, 2024. Retrieved December 30, 2025.
  7. ↑ "2025 U.S. Women's National Team Roster Unveiled". USA Hockey. March 5, 2025. Retrieved March 5, 2025.
  8. ↑ "Simms named WCHA Rookie of the Month". uwbadgers.com. January 3, 2023. Retrieved March 17, 2024.
  9. ↑ Stewart, Mark (March 20, 2023). "Wisconsin women's hockey blanks Ohio State to win its 7th national title". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel . Retrieved March 17, 2024.
  10. ↑ "Lucky Seven: Badgers claim seventh National Title". uwbadgers.com. March 19, 2023. Retrieved March 17, 2024.
  11. ↑ "2022-23 All-WCHA Teams Announced". wcha.com. February 23, 2023. Retrieved March 17, 2024.
  12. ↑ Haase, Nicole (March 31, 2023). "Women's Division I College Hockey: 2022-23 All-USCHO Teams". uscho.com. Retrieved March 17, 2024.
  13. ↑ Lucas, Mike (March 15, 2024). "Badgers women enter hockey playoffs with No. 1 scorer in NCAA". The Capital Times . Retrieved March 17, 2024.
  14. ↑ Stewart, Mark (March 6, 2024). "Wisconsin hockey players Kirsten Simms, Caroline Harvey earn top honors from WCHA". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel . Retrieved March 17, 2024.
  15. ↑ "Thursday's hockey: Plymouth's Kirsten Simms one step from top collegiate award". The Detroit News . March 14, 2024. Retrieved March 17, 2024.
  16. ↑ Haase, Nicole (March 23, 2025). "Ohio State falls to Wisconsin in bid to repeat as NCAA women's hockey national champion". The Columbus Dispatch . Retrieved March 23, 2025.
  17. ↑ "Frozen Four: Simms Delivers NCAA Title for Wisconsin". collegehockeyinc.com. March 23, 2025. Retrieved March 23, 2025.
  18. ↑ "Kirsten Simms". Wisconsin Badgers. Retrieved December 30, 2025.
  19. ↑ Azzi, Alex (June 6, 2022). "U18 Women's Hockey Worlds: After long wait, 'relentless' U.S. team is ready to play". nbcsports.com. Retrieved March 17, 2024.
  20. 1 2 3 4 "Americans warm up for women's world hockey championship by defeating rival Canada on Kirsten Simms's OT goal". The Boston Globe. April 8, 2024. Retrieved December 30, 2025.
  21. ↑ "Kirsten Simms scores OT winner for U.S. over Canada in women's world hockey". TSN. April 9, 2024. Retrieved December 30, 2025.
  22. ↑ Kennedy, Ian (March 31, 2024). "USA Names 2024 World Championship Roster, Plenty of New Faces". thehockeynews.com. The Hockey News. Retrieved March 31, 2024.
  23. ↑ "2025 U.S. Women's National Team Roster Unveiled". USA Hockey . March 5, 2025. Retrieved March 5, 2025.
  24. ↑ "2025 Women's Worlds Insider - Golden!!! U.S. Wins World Championship". USA Hockey. April 20, 2025. Retrieved December 30, 2025.
  25. 1 2 Press, Canadian (December 13, 2025). "US drubs Canada 10-4 in Rivalry Hockey Series Game in Edmonton". CBC.ca. Retrieved December 11, 2025.
  26. ↑ "U.S. women's hockey roster reworked; Knight set for 5th Games". ESPN.com . January 2, 2026. Retrieved January 2, 2026.
  27. ↑ "Nine Badgers honored on All-WCHA Teams". uwbadgers.com. February 29, 2024. Retrieved March 17, 2024.
  28. ↑ "Simms named WCHA Player of the Year". uwbadgers.com. March 7, 2024. Retrieved March 17, 2024.
  29. ↑ "Harvey, O'Brien and Simms earn First-Team All-American honors". uwbadgers.com. University of Wisconsin. March 23, 2024. Retrieved March 24, 2024.
  30. ↑ "Dunne Deal! Freshman's Late Snipe Nets Natty for OSU". collegehockeyinc.com. March 24, 2024. Archived from the original on April 19, 2024. Retrieved March 24, 2024.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.