Taylor Heise Bio
Taylor Heise, born on March 17, 2000, in Lake City, Minnesota, is an American professional ice hockey forward for the Minnesota Frost of the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL). She is widely regarded as one of the top American players of her generation, having won the Patty Kazmaier Award in 2022 as the most outstanding player in NCAA Division I women’s hockey. Heise also represents the United States national team and was selected first overall in the 2023 PWHL Draft.
Standing 5 ft 10 in tall and playing at 168 lb, Heise shoots right and has built a reputation as a skilled playmaker and dependable two-way forward. She helped lead the Frost to back-to-back Walter Cup championships in 2024 and 2025, becoming the first player in PWHL history to win consecutive titles with the same franchise.
Early Life and Background
Taylor Heise was born in Lake City, Minnesota, a small town along the Mississippi River in southeastern Minnesota. She grew up on a dairy farm outside Lake City with her parents, Amy and Tony Heise, both of whom were former college basketball players at the University of Wisconsin–River Falls. Heise has two younger brothers, Nathan and Ryan, both of whom followed their parents into college basketball, with Nathan playing at Iowa State after four seasons at Northern Iowa, and Ryan at Winona State.
As a first-grader, Heise brought home a flyer from school about an introductory hockey lesson and expressed interest in trying the sport, unexpected news for a basketball-centered family. Lake City did not have a hockey program at the time, so Heise began skating on an outdoor rink in town, where practices depended on weather and whether someone had cleared the ice. After roughly three years of playing only against neighboring Wabasha, she transitioned to Red Wing for youth hockey, with her family making daily 30-minute drives each way so she could compete.
In fourth grade, Heise decided to open-enroll at Red Wing High School beginning in seventh grade to play hockey, since Lake City High School did not have a girls program. Her grandfather Ken Heise, who had recently retired as a bus driver and lived near the school, drove her to and from classes before she got her license. Despite being a talented basketball player herself, Heise ended her basketball career after sixth grade to focus on hockey, saying the sport felt more freeing and independent to her.
Path to Hockey
Heise joined the Red Wing varsity team as a seventh-grader in the 2012–13 season, recording five goals and nine points on a team that included future Division I players. The Wingers won three consecutive section championships during her first three seasons, and Heise served as team captain during her junior and senior years. By the end of her high school career, she had compiled 216 goals and 370 points, maintaining a 3.96 grade point average while earning six letters in hockey, two in track and field, and one in soccer.
As a senior in 2017–18, Heise posted 74 goals and 30 assists for 104 points in 29 games and led Red Wing to a consolation runner-up finish at the Minnesota State Class A Tournament. She was named the 2018 USA Today High School Sports All-USA Girls Hockey Player of the Year and won the Minnesota Ms. Hockey Award. In December 2023, Red Wing honored her by unveiling a banner with her name and number 9, hanging alongside that of Alyssa Johnson, a pioneer in Red Wing girls hockey.
Taylor Heise Career
Early Career (2017–2018)
Heise began her national-level career representing the United States at the 2016 IIHF U18 Women’s World Championship, where she recorded two goals and one assist in five games and won a gold medal. She followed that with a second consecutive U18 gold in 2017, contributing one assist in five games. These international appearances marked the start of her senior trajectory before she ever played a college game.
In 2018, Heise was named captain of the U.S. squad at the 2018 IIHF U18 Women’s World Championship and recorded four goals and four assists for eight points in five games, leading the team to a third consecutive gold medal. She was named Best Forward, Tournament MVP, and selected to the All-Star Team, becoming one of the most decorated players in the history of the U.S. U18 program. That same year, she graduated from Red Wing High School as one of the most decorated high school hockey players in Minnesota history.
Minnesota Golden Gophers (2018–2023)
Heise began her collegiate career at the University of Minnesota during the 2018–19 season, recording 13 goals and 22 assists in 39 games as a freshman and earning WCHA All-Rookie team honors. She ranked second in the WCHA and ninth in the nation with a team-best five game-winning goals, and led all WCHA rookies with 22 assists.
Across her five-year career with the Golden Gophers, Heise set a program record for most games played, appearing in 175 contests. She finished with 227 points on 97 goals and 130 assists, was twice named a CCM/AHCA First-Team All-American, and twice won WCHA Forward of the Year. As a senior in 2021–22, she led the NCAA in scoring with 66 points on 29 goals and 37 assists, won the Patty Kazmaier Award, and was named WCHA Player of the Year. As a graduate student in 2022–23, she led the nation with 29 goals and ranked second in points with 65, becoming one of the most decorated players in program history.
Minnesota Frost Era (2023–Present)
On September 18, 2023, Heise was selected first overall by PWHL Minnesota in the 2023 PWHL Draft, with her name called by tennis legend Billie Jean King, a member of the league’s board of directors. On October 26, 2023, she signed a three-year contract with the franchise, and on January 3, 2024, she scored the first goal in franchise history in a 3–2 victory over PWHL Boston. One week later, she had a breakout performance with two highlight-reel goals and an assist in a 3–1 win over PWHL Toronto.
During the 2023–24 season, Heise recorded four goals and nine assists in 19 regular season games, finishing fourth on Minnesota and fifth among PWHL rookies in scoring. In the Walter Cup playoffs, she elevated her game and led the postseason with five goals and eight points in ten games, helping the Frost win the inaugural Walter Cup championship over Boston and earning the Ilana Kloss Playoff MVP award. She became the first player in PWHL history to win consecutive titles with the same team when Minnesota captured the Walter Cup again in 2025.
Driving Style and Strengths
Taylor Heise is known for her skating speed, offensive instincts, and playmaking vision, regularly ranking among the league leaders in assists. She combines strong two-way responsibility with a willingness to attack the net, and her 68.8 percent faceoff win rate during the 2024 playoffs was the highest among all players. Coaches have emphasized her ability to elevate her game in big moments, whether scoring clutch playoff goals or setting up linemates in tight situations.
Notable Events and Milestones
Heise’s most defining moments include scoring the first goal in PWHL Minnesota history on January 3, 2024, and earning the Ilana Kloss Playoff MVP after leading the 2024 Walter Cup playoffs in scoring. She also delivered an overtime winner against Toronto in Game 4 of the 2025 playoffs and an overtime winner against Vancouver on December 27, 2025, to cap a three-game losing streak. In January 2026, she was named to the U.S. roster for the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milano Cortina.
Taylor Heise Career Wins
Taylor Heise has built an impressive collection of championships across youth, collegiate, professional, and international competition. Her trophy case includes three U18 World Championship gold medals, two Women’s World Championship gold medals, two Walter Cup championships with the Minnesota Frost, and the prestigious Patty Kazmaier Award from her senior season at Minnesota.
Minnesota Frost Highlights
Heise helped the Frost capture back-to-back Walter Cup championships in 2024 and 2025, becoming the first player in PWHL history to win consecutive titles with the same team. In the 2024 playoffs, she led all postseason scorers with eight points in ten games and was named the Ilana Kloss Playoff MVP. Her most recent championship came in 2025, when she scored an overtime winner against Toronto to clinch the Finals berth before Minnesota defeated Boston for the second consecutive title.
Other Wins and Performances
Beyond her PWHL titles, Heise has won two Women’s World Championship gold medals (2023 and 2025) and two silver medals (2022 and 2024) with the United States. She was also a three-time U18 World Championship gold medalist (2016, 2017, 2018), earning Tournament MVP honors at both the 2018 U18 Worlds and the 2022 Women’s Worlds, where her 18 points were the most by any player in nearly 30 years. She won the Patty Kazmaier Award in 2022 and was a two-time WCHA Player of the Year.
Taylor Heise Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Heise comes from a strong basketball family. Her parents, Amy and Tony Heise, were both former college basketball players at the University of Wisconsin–River Falls, and her two younger brothers, Nathan and Ryan, both went on to play college basketball, with Nathan at Iowa State (after four seasons at Northern Iowa) and Ryan at Winona State. The family’s deep athletic roots helped shape Taylor’s competitive drive, even as she ultimately chose hockey over basketball.
Personal Life
Taylor Heise is engaged to Parker Fox, a former Minnesota men’s basketball player. The couple met as students and announced their engagement on June 28, 2025. Fox, who played seven seasons of college basketball including six at Minnesota, was in attendance at Game 5 of the 2024 PWHL Finals in Boston to watch Heise and the Frost win the inaugural Walter Cup. Heise remains connected to her basketball roots, regularly attending her brothers’ college games and maintaining her own basketball skills, with Fox crediting her with strong shooting form and range.
2025 Season Performance
The 2024–25 PWHL season was a story of resilience for Taylor Heise and the Minnesota Frost. After entering the year dealing with a knee injury sustained while practicing with Team USA, Heise was limited early and ranked seventh among Frost forwards in ice time through the first four games. As her knee healed, her playing time grew, and she posted a season-high 33 minutes against New York while accumulating eight assists through her first six contests, ranking second in the league.
Heise found her scoring touch on January 26, 2025, with a two-goal performance against Boston in a 5–2 win that ended a three-game losing streak. In the playoffs, she delivered one of the signature moments of the season, scoring the overtime winner in Game 4 against Toronto on May 14, 2025, to clinch Minnesota’s spot in the Walter Cup Finals with a 4–3 victory. The Frost went on to defeat Boston in the Finals to capture their second consecutive Walter Cup, cementing the franchise as the first back-to-back champions in PWHL history.
Looking ahead, Heise and the Frost began their pursuit of a third consecutive Walter Cup championship on November 21, 2025. The team returned nine players from its championship rosters, including Kendall Coyne Schofield, Kelly Pannek, and Lee Stecklein, while adjusting to the departure of key contributors to the expansion Vancouver Goldeneyes. Through the early portion of the season, Heise demonstrated her playmaking with multiple assists before breaking through with her first goal, an overtime winner against the Vancouver Goldeneyes on December 27, 2025, at Rogers Place in Edmonton during the PWHL Takeover Tour.
