Natalie Snodgrass Bio
Natalie Claire Snodgrass (born December 17, 1998) is an American professional ice hockey forward who currently plays for the Seattle Torrent of the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL). A right-shooting forward listed at 168 cm, she has built a reputation as a power forward with deceptive speed and a knack for clutch goals. She previously played for the Ottawa Charge and Minnesota Whitecaps, and internationally has represented the United States at both the U18 and senior levels.
Born and raised in Eagan, Minnesota, Snodgrass comes from a hockey family and developed her game on the backyard pond before starring at Eastview High School. After a record-setting college career at the University of Connecticut, she transitioned into the professional ranks and has since become a contributor on multiple PWHL and PHF rosters.
Early Life and Background
Natalie Claire Snodgrass was born on December 17, 1998, in Eagan, Minnesota, to Nancy and Joe Snodgrass. She is the youngest of three children, with an older sister, Emily, and an older brother, John. Hockey runs throughout the family: her father Joe played college hockey, while both of her siblings also competed at the collegiate level, and her sister Emily later played professionally in the European Women’s Hockey League with the EV Bozen Eagles.
Snodgrass began skating on her family’s backyard pond in Eagan, often surrounded by hockey-playing family members. She attended Eastview High School, where she played for the Eastview Lightning girls’ hockey team and became a four-time team MVP, a two-time team captain, and a four-time all-conference selection. Over six seasons at Eastview, she scored 141 goals, finishing as the school’s all-time leading scorer and surpassing her sister Emily’s previous record of 97 goals and 91 assists.
During her junior year in 2015–16, Snodgrass produced a series of dramatic late-game moments, including three goals in the Class 2A, Section 3 final against rival Eagan, when she scored the tying goal with under ten seconds remaining in regulation and added the overtime winner. She was named the 2016 Pioneer Press Metro Player of the Year, a 2016 USA Today First Team All-American, and a Minneapolis Star Tribune All-Metro First Team selection. Eastview reached the state tournament in each of her sophomore, junior, and senior seasons, while Snodgrass maintained honor roll standing and was a National Honor Society member.
Path to Hockey
Snodgrass grew up idolizing Minnesota native Natalie Darwitz, a three-time Olympian and one of the greatest players the state has produced. Darwitz watched her develop from a five-year-old skater on the family pond into a high school standout and became a family friend and mentor. According to published reports, Darwitz later recalled that Snodgrass told her, “I’m going to go put women’s hockey on the map at UConn,” crediting her with taking an unconventional recruiting path.
After committing to the University of Connecticut, following in her sister Emily’s footsteps, Snodgrass first gained international attention representing the United States at the 2015 IIHF World Women’s U18 Championship in Buffalo, New York, where she won a gold medal on home soil. She returned to the U.S. Under-18 Team for the 2016 IIHF World Women’s U18 Championship in St. Catharines, Ontario, and emerged as Team USA’s leading scorer. In the gold medal game against Canada, she scored both the game-tying goal in the third period and the overtime game-winner in a 3–2 victory, and was named the U.S. Player of the Game.
In March 2017, as a high school senior, Snodgrass was invited by USA Hockey to join the senior national team as a replacement player during a labor dispute. She publicly declined, writing on Twitter that she would “do what others won’t” and would not play in the 2017 World Championship, standing in solidarity with the striking senior players.
Natalie Snodgrass Career
Early Career at the University of Connecticut (2017–2022)
Snodgrass enrolled at the University of Connecticut in 2017 and joined the Huskies women’s ice hockey program, where her sister Emily had been a star. She made an immediate impact, scoring the overtime game-winning goal in her collegiate debut at St. Cloud State on September 29, 2017, and finishing her rookie season with 21 goals and 17 assists in 38 games to lead the team in scoring. Her 38 points ranked eighth in Hockey East, and she was named to the Pro Ambitions All-Rookie Team while earning Hockey East All-Star Honorable Mention.
Across five seasons with the Huskies, Snodgrass served as a two-year captain and led Connecticut in scoring for four consecutive seasons. She finished her collegiate career with 139 points (70 goals and 69 assists) in 170 games, becoming the program’s all-time leading goal scorer, second in career points, and second in career assists. She surpassed her sister Emily’s program goal-scoring record of 70 during her final season and tied for the most games played in program history.
Minnesota Whitecaps Breakthrough (2022–2023)
Following her college career, Snodgrass signed a one-year contract with the Minnesota Whitecaps of the Premier Hockey Federation on July 15, 2022, citing the chance to play for her home team in front of family and friends. She quickly became one of the Whitecaps’ top contributors, leading the team with 20 points (10 goals and 10 assists) in 22 regular-season games and tying veteran Jonna Albers for the team scoring lead.
Among her highlights was a hat trick on December 17, 2022, her 24th birthday, which earned her PHF First Star of the Week honors. In the postseason, the fourth-seeded Whitecaps swept the two-time defending champion Boston Pride in the semifinals, with Snodgrass scoring her first professional playoff goal in a Game 2 victory. She added two assists in the Isobel Cup Final against the Toronto Six, though Toronto won 4–3 in overtime. Snodgrass was named a PHF Rookie of the Year finalist and earned PHF All-Star honors.
Ottawa Charge Era (2023–2025)
After going undrafted in the inaugural 2023 PWHL Draft, Snodgrass signed as a free agent with PWHL Ottawa and made her league debut on January 13, 2024, scoring her first career PWHL goal against the Toronto Sceptres. That goal, assisted on a stretch pass from goaltender Emerance Maschmeyer for the first goaltender assist in PWHL history, helped Ottawa earn its first franchise win, 5–1.
Over two seasons with the Charge, Snodgrass appeared in 44 regular-season games and recorded eight points (two goals and six assists). She played on both the power play and penalty kill units, demonstrating the versatility praised by Ottawa general manager Mike Hirshfeld. She signed a one-year extension with Ottawa on June 5, 2024, becoming the first player in the PWHL to sign a contract extension in that offseason, though she did not appear in the 2024–25 playoffs as the Charge reached the PWHL Final before falling to the Minnesota Frost in four games.
Seattle Torrent Era (2025–Present)
On June 18, 2025, Snodgrass signed a one-year contract with the Seattle Torrent, one of two PWHL expansion teams added for the 2025–26 season. Seattle general manager Meghan Turner described her as a strong skater with the versatility to play multiple roles and a consistent work ethic. Snodgrass reunited with former Ottawa teammates Danielle Serdachny and Aneta Tejralová in Seattle.
Snodgrass made her Torrent debut in the team’s first game against the Vancouver Goldeneyes at Pacific Coliseum, and played in the club’s inaugural home game on November 28, 2025, against the Minnesota Frost at Climate Pledge Arena, where 16,014 fans set multiple women’s hockey attendance records. She has skated regularly on a line with Lexie Adzija and Mikyla Grant-Mentis, recording her first point as a Torrent with an assist on December 28, 2025.
Driving Style and Strengths
Snodgrass has been described as a power forward with deceptive speed who plays with a physical edge, though she has occasionally been prone to undiscipline on the ice. Coaches have praised her versatility to contribute on the power play and penalty kill, and her ability to produce in high-pressure moments has been a defining trait throughout her career.
Notable Events and Milestones
Signature moments include her overtime winner in the 2016 IIHF U18 gold medal game, her overtime goal in her UConn debut at St. Cloud State, her hat trick on her 24th birthday with the Whitecaps, and her historic first PWHL goal assisted by a goaltender for Ottawa. She also donated her 2016 U18 stick to the Hockey Hall of Fame in tribute to Patrick Schoonover, a young Minnesota hockey player she honored throughout the tournament.
Natalie Snodgrass Career Wins
Snodgrass’s career has produced two IIHF World Women’s U18 Championship gold medals, in 2015 and 2016, and a run to the Isobel Cup Final with the Minnesota Whitecaps in her rookie professional season. She has been a finalist for PHF Rookie of the Year, a PHF All-Star, and a Pro Ambitions All-Rookie Team selection.
Minnesota Whitecaps Highlights
During her lone PHF season, Snodgrass led the Whitecaps with 20 points in 22 regular-season games, including 10 goals and 10 assists, and tied for third in the league with game-winning goals. She scored her first professional playoff goal in a semifinal win over Boston and added two assists in the Isobel Cup Final against Toronto. The Whitecaps’ playoff run, which began with an eight-game losing streak entering the postseason, was widely regarded as one of the surprises of the league season.
Other Wins and Performances
Snodgrass was a two-time captain at the University of Connecticut and a four-time team MVP at Eastview High School. She was named the 2016 Pioneer Press Metro Player of the Year and a 2016 USA Today First Team All-American, and was recognized multiple times with Hockey East All-Star and All-Rookie honors throughout her college career.
Natalie Snodgrass Family
Family Background and Hockey Lineage
Natalie Snodgrass is the daughter of Nancy and Joe Snodgrass of Eagan, Minnesota, and the youngest of three children, including her sister Emily and brother John. Her father Joe played college hockey, her brother John also played at the collegiate level, and her sister Emily starred at UConn before playing professionally in Europe. The Snodgrass family has long been central to Natalie’s development, from her early days skating on the backyard pond to her rise through the U.S. national program.
Personal Life
Snodgrass studied health sciences at the University of Connecticut and remains closely tied to her Minnesota roots. She has credited Natalie Darwitz, a fellow Eagan-area native and three-time Olympian, as both an early idol and a lifelong mentor. According to her USA Hockey profile, her favorite postgame meal is spaghetti and meatballs.
2025 Season Performance
Natalie Snodgrass entered the 2025–26 season as a forward for the Seattle Torrent, one of two expansion teams added to the PWHL. She debuted against the Vancouver Goldeneyes and quickly became a regular in the lineup, skating on a line with Lexie Adzija and Mikyla Grant-Mentis.
On November 28, 2025, Snodgrass played in the Torrent’s inaugural home game at Climate Pledge Arena against the Minnesota Frost, drawing 16,014 fans and setting multiple U.S. women’s hockey attendance records. She recorded her first point as a Torrent with an assist on December 28, 2025, during the PWHL Takeover Tour stop in Dallas against the New York Sirens.
Snodgrass’s role with Seattle appears built on her established versatility, contributing in multiple situations while offering leadership from her prior captaincy at UConn. As the expansion franchise finds its footing in its inaugural PWHL campaign, she is positioned as a consistent two-way contributor in the Torrent’s lineup.
