PWHL Minnesota signs Britta Curl, Klara Hymlarova to two-year contracts
The reigning Walter Cup Champions have locked down a pair of top prospects for the next couple of seasons.
On Friday, PWHL Minnesota announced it has signed draft picks Britta Curl and Klára Hymlárová to two-year contracts, taking them through the 2025-26 season.
Our first Draftees have made it official. ✍️
2022 Olympian Klára Hymlárová and Captain of University of Wisconsin, Britta Curl, have signed two-year Standard Player Agreements.
📰: https://t.co/lDnX0F13Xe pic.twitter.com/wQAIQSZzVN
Curl was the team’s second-round pick in the draft, being taken ninth overall. She was the captain at the University of Wisconsin during her senior season in 2022-23, helping the Badgers win a record seventh national championship, and third in as many years. Curl finished her career with 86 goals and 93 assists in 179 games. The Bismarck, North Dakota native also represented her country on a number of occasions. She won gold with Team USA at the 2018 IIHF Women’s Under-18 World Championship and the 2023 IIHF Women’s World Championship.
The pick itself was rather controversial, as Curl has previously been seen supporting transphobic and homophobic language causes through her social media. It has sparked outrage not just from the fans of women’s hockey, but fans of Minnesota. Head coach Ken Klee, who led the draft table after former general manager Natalie Darwitz “parted ways” with the club, defended his decision, saying “We did our homework on [Curl].”
Hymlárová was one of the more underrated players heading into the draft. After spending five seasons at St. Cloud State, where she became one of the team’s top players, the Czechia star became the first Husky ever taken in the PWHL Draft, being selected in the third round, 15th overall.
“I am beyond excited to officially be part of this great organization, and I am truly grateful for the opportunity to represent the team and the State of Hockey,” Hymlárová said in a release. “After spending five seasons at St. Cloud State, Minnesota holds a special place in my heart, and I am thrilled to continue to be a part of our rich hockey tradition!”
The 25-year-old scored 36 goals and 53 in 142 NCAA games. The Opava native has also been playing on the senior national team since she was 16 years old, competing in seven Women’s Worlds and the 2022 Olympics in Beijing. Hymlárová was a key player in Czechia’s bronze-medal victories at the 2022 and 2023 IIHF Women’s World Championships.
Minnesota now has 13 players signed through next season, and nine through the 2025-26 campaign.