MN Ice Cougars are excited to announce 7th annual programs to get the player ready for the winter association tryouts. We will offer three different ways to prepare for the tryouts. 5 week pre-tryout training, OS Fall league, and combo. All the details below.

5 Week Pre-Tryout Clinic- $350

• 2 Skill Levels
• 10 On ice practices
• Professional all female staff
• All the drills will be performed at game speed -> Overspeed drills
• Visit https://teams.mnicecougars.com/pretryout for additional details and to register

OS Fall League- $229

• 2 Skill levels
• 10 Games against top teams in the Twin Cities
• Professional all female staff
• Visit https://teams.mnicecougars.com/os for the details and to register

5 Week Pre-Tryout Clinic and OS Fall League Combo- $499

• 10 High tempo on ice practices
• 10 Games against top teams
• Visit https://teams.mnicecougars.com/combo for additional details and to register
  
  

To Register for Fall Clinics : Click HERE

2025 MN Ice Cougars AAA Program Information/Tryouts 

• Spring season: Early April until Memorial Day
• Fall season: Mid July through August
• Great for multi-sport athletes, those that want a break or those that choose to do other things outside the rink.
• Mission: To develop intelligent athletes with grit.
• Vision: This program will provide an intense, challenging and positive environment for dedicated players to develop hockey and leadership skills.
• Principles: Accountability, Tenacity and Passion. Ice Cougar players will receive instruction based upon the core hockey skills. In addition, we emphasize the key details of how to make their teammates better on and off the ice. Each player will be treated with respect. Every coach and player will be held to the highest standard of accountability
• Staff: We are very proud to employ an all female coaching staff.
• Convenience practice locations.
• Practice plans: Each practice will focus on developing skills and teaching players how to utilize those skills in the game!
• Opportunities to travel out of State and Europe
• Learn more about our program: https://teams.mnicecougars.com
  
  

More info including coaches, cost, amount of ice, etc. will be given at the tryout session. In the meantime if you have any questions or you want to refer a player do not hesitate to contact Mira at jalos001@umn.edu

Please click on the HERE here to secure your spot

Times:

• U8/U10 West Tryouts - Breck - 9/8/2024 11:15am-12:45pm
• U12 West Tryouts - Breck - 9/8/2024  1:00pm-2:30pm
• U14 West Tryouts - Breck -  9/8/2024  2:45pm-4:15pm
• U16 West Tryouts - Breck  9/8/2024  4:30pm-6:00pm
• U8/U10 South Tryouts - Eagan East 9/10/2024 4:45pm-6:00pm
• U12 South Tryouts - Eagan East 9/10/2024 6:15pm-7:30pm
• U12/U14/U16 South Tryouts - Eagan East 9/10/2024 7:45pm-9:00pm

2025 GIRL'S DIVISION BIRTH YEARS

• 8U = 2017 and 2016 Birth Years
• 10U = 2015 and 2014 Birth Years
• 12U = 2013 and 2012 Birth Years
• 14U = 2011 and 2010 Birth Years
• 16U = 2009 and 2008 Birth Years
• 19U = 2007, 2006 & 2005 Birth Years

Get ready for an adrenaline-pumping, jaw-dropping, and nation-uniting hockey extravaganza the Rivalry Cup in Blaine, Minnesota!

Imagine stepping onto the ice, representing your home country, donning the colors of your nation with pride. That's right! As part of this incredible event, all players will receive custom socks and jerseys that symbolize their home countries.

The Rivalry Cup is a guaranteed 4-game tournament where every victory for your team counts towards earning points for your home nation. With championship finals at each age group. It's not just about personal triumphs; it's about rallying together and showcasing the strength and skill of your entire Association team!

• Mark your calendar: November 22th-24th, 2024.
• Registration cost is $1995 USD
• The first 6 Canadian teams and the first 6 USA teams to register will receive a $400 USD discount!
•  This event is for U15A, U15 B, U12A, U12 B1, U10 A and U10B 

Head over to The Rivalry Cup's official website at  https://playhockey.com/rivalry-cup-mn to register 

For any inquiries or additional information, feel free to reach out to:

Canadian Contact: Kim Hynes | Phone: 204-223-3233 | Email: khynes@playhockey.com

American Contact: Mira Jalosuo | Phone: 612-232-2607 | Email: mjalosuo@playhockey.com

Kayla Chillstrom - Current St. Olaf assistant coach

Annika Peterson - Former St. Olaf player

Annie Juergensen - Former Augsburg University player, Current Centennial Varsity assistant coach

Anna Schmidt - Former St. Michael HS Player

Lindsay Czech - Current University of Minnesota Duluth player

Jordan Hanson - Current Hamline University Player

Sam Hanson - Former UND collegiate player and former PWHPA player

Taylor Curtis - Former Syracuse college player.  Former Hamline University college player

Samantha Lackman - Current St. Kates collegiate player. Three years of coaching experience with the MN Ice Cougars

DEVENIR GOALTENDERS - MN Ice Cougars is partnered with Devenir Goaltending to provide goalie-specific training throughout our practices. Learn More.

Mira Jalosuo

Mira grew up playing boys youth hockey in Lieksa, Finland. In 9th grade, Mira was recruited to play in the Finnish women’s national league. While she was still in high school, she played for Oulu Kärpät women’s team and won two silver and two bronze medals. She also won several individual awards while playing in the Finnish women’s national league.

After graduating high school, Mira went on to play college hockey for the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers. During her four seasons playing for the Gophers, she won two National Championships (2012 and 2013). She graduated from the University of Minnesota in the August of 2013 and went on to play two years of professional hockey in Russia. In that short period of time Mira went on to win a National Championship in 2014 and European Cup in 2015. She was also selected as the best defender of the European Cup tournament. 2015-2016 Mira played for the Minnesota WhiteCaps and got recruited to go play the playoffs in Sweden where she won the Swedish League championship. 2016-2017 season Mira played for Oulu Kärpät women’s team and won the Finnish League championship and was selected as the MVP of the playoffs. Mira has been a member of the Finnish National team since 2004, and has over 150 games in international play. She has participated in the 2014 Olympic Winter Games and 2018 Olympic Games where she won bronze with Team Finland. She also has played nine times in the IIHF Women’s World Championships, winning five bronze medals in 2008, 2009, 2011, 2015, and 2017.

Along with Mira’s playing experience she brings a wealth of coaching experience to Minnesota Ice Cougars. In 2013, Mira began working with the Minnesota Icemen and Ice Cougars AAA program as a player mentor. In 2014, Jalosuo was selected as the head coach for the U16 and U12 Minnesota Ice Cougars AAA program and she was also a Defensive Coordinator for the same program.

Currently she is coaching at D1 level at St.Cloud State University and is also MN Region PWHPA Assistant Coach. Prior to her time at St.Cloud, Jalosuo had served as a head coach for Stillwater HS where she led the team to a State Tournament 2020. Before that she was an assistant coach for Hamline University and the Wayzata High School program 2015-2018. She also coached with the Stillwater Area Hockey Association, leading the U12A team to a 42-6-2 record in 2018-19. Mira has coached and worked with many players over the past three years helping students learn and improve their hockey skills. Over the years Mira has developed an ability to work effectively with players of all ages and backgrounds.

Kayla Chilstrom

East Director

Hockey playing experience; 

Kayla Chilstrom is in her second season as an assistant coach for the St. Olaf women's hockey program in 2021-22 after joining head coach Tracy Johnson's staff on Sept. 4, 2020.

A former NCAA Division III student-athlete at the University of Wisconsin-Superior, Chilstrom joined Johnson’s staff following four seasons as an assistant coach at her alma mater. St. Olaf did not compete in any games during Chilstrom's first season of 2020-21 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In Chilstrom’s four seasons on staff at UW-Superior, the Yellowjackets won 50 games and appeared in the semifinals of the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Championship each season. This past season, UW-Superior went 17-8-2, with victories over No. 7 UW-River Falls and No. 4 Gustavus, and received votes in the USCHO.com national rankings on two occasions.

Chilstrom has also served as an instructor at the Scott Bjugstad Shooting School and as a player development coach for the Minnesota Ice Cougars. Prior to returning to her alma mater as an assistant coach, Chilstrom was an assistant coach at Superior High School for five seasons before being elevated to head coach for the 2016-17 season.

As a student-athlete at UW-Superior, Chilstrom helped the Yellowjackets to their first-ever appearance in the national semifinals in 2007-08 and a Northern Collegiate Hockey Association (NCHA) conference title that same year. In 102 career games on the blue line, Chilstrom accumulated 38 points on 11 goals and 27 assists while the Yellowjackets went 71-31-12 (.675).

 -Coaching quote

"Popcorn is prepared in the same pot, in the same heat, and in the same oil, yet the kernels do not all pop at the same time. Do not compare yourself to others. Your turn to pop is coming."

As a coach, Sam Hanson is starting her fourth year with the Minnesota Ice Cougars. This past season she was the Assistant Coach for the MN Ice Cougars U19 traveling team and was the Skills Coach for Academy of Holy Angles girl’s high school . Perviously assisted with Hockey Gymnasium training on and off the ice in Leksand, Sweden. 

Former professional hockey player. Hanson played four years professionally between the PWHPA, KRS Vankee Rays (Russia), and Leksands IF (Sweden) where she was a captain. 

Her collegiate career was played at the University of North Dakota. She played her youth and high school hockey for White Bear Lake.