Frost sign Daria Gredzen to one-year contract
An intriguing prospect has inked her first pro contract in North America.
On Monday, the Minnesota Frost announced that the team has signed goaltender Daria Gredzen to a one-year contract for the 2026-27 season.
Gredzen was taken by the Frost in the fifth round, 57th overall, of the 2026 PWHL Draft. She was the third netminder taken in the draft, and has become the first draft pick Minnesota has signed this summer.
While Russia has been blocked off from competing internationally for the last few years, Gredzen has become a star in the Zhenskaya Hockey League with Biryusa Krasnoyarsk since debuting in the league as a 15-year-old in 2019. She has been one of the ZnHL’s top netminders over the past few seasons, including being named the league’s top player in 2023-24 after leading the league with seven shutouts. This past year, the 22-year-old went 20-7-2 in 30 games, with a 2.22 goals-against average, a .928 save percentage and two shutouts. She went 4-4 in the playoffs, with a 2.05 GAA and .942 SV%.
In 187 regular-season games in the ZnHL, Gredzen has a record of 110-59-16, with a 2.12 GAA, a .931 SV% and 27 shutouts. She’s also 21-22 in the postseason, notching a 2.06 GAA, a .934 SV% and three shutouts.
The Novosibirsk, Russia native has some notable international experience as well. She was Russia’s starting goaltender at the 2019 IIHF Under-18 Women’s World Championship at just 14 years old, before being the youngest member, 17, of the Russian Olympic Committee squad at the 2022 Beijing Olympics.
Gredzen was a rather surprising pick, as there is still a lot of unknown when it comes to Russian players competing in the PWHL. While there’s a lot of talent coming out of the ZnHL, it’s not yet commonly known if success in Russia can translate to the growing league on this side of the pond. While Fanuza Kadirova blossomed in her first season with the Ottawa Charge, Anna Shokhina struggled in her rookie season with Ottawa and the Vancouver Goldeneyes, but is getting another chance with the expansion in Hamilton. That said, Gredzen is a very talented goaltender and can be used accordingly in a supporting role in Minnesota.
With the deal, the Frost has its three backstops set for the 2026-27 campaign, as Gredzen joins Maddie Rooney and Marlene Boissonnault. Minnesota has 16 players signed to standard player agreements for next year, with the team allowed to sign three more ahead of training camp.