Frost’s Curl-Salemme suspended one game, fined for altercations against Victoire
The Minnesota Frost will be without one of their top forwards for Game 2 of their PWHL Walter Cup Playoffs semifinal series, as Britta Curl-Salemme has been given a one-game suspension and a $250 fine.
While the Frost came away as 5-4 victors over the Montréal Victoire in Game 1, Curl-Salemme was ejected from the game after placing a high hit on the Victoire’s Katilin Willoughby in the second period. The altercation came after Curl suffered a significant hit herself, but the retribution factor and high arm to Willoughby’s head saw her leave the game and sparked the PWHL to take further action.
That hit warranted the suspension; yet, the fine came from an altercation at 4:47 of the second period, when Curl-Salemme and Montreal’s Abby Roque earned minor roughing penalties. A further review by the Player Safety Committee determined that Curle-Salemme had grabbed Roque’s face shield and then thrown her to the ice.
“Britta’s awesome,” Minnesota head coach Ken Klee told reporters after the game. “She’s a great player. Great person in our room. Plays hard. Plays the right way. Plays physical. She’s not out there, obviously, trying to hurt anyone. She’s just out there trying to play hard.”
Curl-Salemme, nearing the end of her second PWHL season, is not unfamiliar with supplemental discipline from PWHL leadership, with the latest incident marking the fifth time she has been fined or suspended.
The now 26-year-old was suspended three times in her rookie campaign, including a one-game suspension in the 2025 Walter Cup playoffs, before Frost advanced to win a second straight league title. She was also fined $250 for a cross-check against New York Sirens forward Kristin O’Neill in March.
Often booed by opposing fans for her social media interactions and lengthy suspension record, she has been a productive forward when not overly physical. In 58 career regular-season games in the PWHL, she has 20 goals and 24 assists and was also a key part of the USA’s run to Olympic gold at the Milan-Cortina 2026 Olympics.
The Frost take on Game 2, now without a key offensive force, against the Victoire in Laval on Tuesday, with puck drop scheduled for a little after 7 p.m. ET.