A few weeks ago, the lobby of Ridder Arena looked a little different than it did during Taylor Heise’s days as a Minnesota Gopher.
Instead of college hockey players roaming around the rink, young children filled the space, wearing Minnesota Frost t-shirts and carrying their hockey bags as they arrived for the opening day of Heise’s TH27 camp.
Before any skater even stepped on the ice, the Olympic gold medalist opened the floor up for questions from the young athletes, eager to speak with and inspire the next generation of women’s hockey players.
Nearby, Heise’s mom was busy checking in campers. Many have grown up watching her daughter play at the highest level of the sport.
For Heise, the scene was a reminder of how much women’s hockey has changed in just a few years.
“Who would have thought four years ago that I’d be playing in a professional hockey league, and now these girls get to look up to that?” Heise said.
The TH27 camp is more than an opportunity for Heise to teach skating and stickhandling. It is a chance to recreate the hockey experience she had growing up and improve the parts she wished had been different.
Hosted at the same rink where Heise formerly played college hockey, the annual camp brought girls together from across Minnesota and beyond for three days of competition and connection. Every detail of the experience was intentionally designed with the goal of making a strong impression on skaters long after they leave the rink.
When creating the camp, Heise often thought back to the hockey camps she attended as a child. Those experiences helped shape her into the player she is today, but they also showed her what she wanted to do differently.
“I remember the camps I went to as a kid and how much they kind of stuck with me, whether it was a positive or negative thing,” Heise said. “Just being able to have an opportunity to teach the youth is super fun.”
To help her create the best possible experience, Heise turned toward someone who had been alongside her through every stage of her hockey journey.
“I talked to my mom,” Heise said. “We both took all those things that we’ve experienced and seen to make it so that’s what my camp embodies.”
Those conversations with her mom influenced nearly every decision behind TH27, from the schedule to the skills she focused on.
One of Heise’s biggest priorities was to ensure campers were not overwhelmed. Instead of creating the exhausting all-day sessions she remembered from her childhood, she intentionally built shorter sessions to allow players to stay engaged.
“I wanted them to be excited to come back the next day,” Heise said.
She also made sure the final day included a scrimmage, allowing players to apply what they learned in a competitive setting. Rather than overwhelming the skaters with too many skills at once, each day focused on a few key areas to ensure they stuck.
Even smaller details, like registration and merchandise, were carefully considered with every decision coming back to the goal of creating the most positive experience possible.
While TH27 was inspired by Heise’s own childhood, the girls who attended her camp have been growing up in a completely different era of women’s hockey.
When Heise was younger, camp opportunities for girls were limited. She often had to go to camps with boys because there were few opportunities specifically designed for female players. At TH27, every camper has the opportunity to compete and learn alongside girls their own age.
“I wanted it to be focused for them and have them be able to feel comfortable,” Heise said.
The differences go beyond the camp environment, too. The girls at TH27 now have more opportunities to continue their hockey careers than Heise did.
After helping the United States win Olympic gold and becoming one of the faces of the two-time champion Minnesota Frost, Heise has been able to see how professional women’s hockey has changed what young players believe is possible.
“I think the girls have avenues,” Heise said. “Not everyone’s going to make it to be on the Olympic team, but I’m hoping all of them get to play college hockey and continue playing for their high school teams. There are so many different avenues.”
Those opportunities were not always available when Heise was growing up. That is part of what makes TH27 camp so meaningful to her.
As women’s hockey has continued to grow, Heise has also become more aware of the responsibility that comes with being one of the sport’s most recognizable players. During her first few years as a professional, Heise remembers veteran players emphasizing the importance of pushing the game forward. At the time, she was still finding her own place and did not fully understand the weight of that responsibility.
Now, she does.
“I don’t think I really understood it when the PWHL started three years ago,” Heise said. “Now, at the age of 26, I am feeling that need to continue to press it forward.”
That mindset extends beyond the rink. Whether it is posing for photos or signing autographs, Heise knows those small moments can have a lasting impact. She remembers the experiences she had with athletes growing up, even the ones that disappointed her.
“I always make sure this is what little Taylor would have wanted,” Heise said. “I remember some experiences I’ve had with people when I was a kid where I remembered it in a negative way. I never want it to be that way for any kid that I ever meet.”
As Heise spent the weekend helping young players develop their hockey skills, she hoped the bigger lessons went beyond their skating and stickhandling.
She wanted to emphasize the importance of finding balance. Her biggest advice for young athletes is to develop interests beyond their sport. It is something she still practices today, from going on walks with her new puppy, Winston, to taking time to enjoy a hobby like baking.
The significance of this advice is to remind kids that life exists outside of the rink, and that their identity is not defined by a sport. That is the lesson she hopes will stick around the longest.
“Hockey isn’t something you are. It’s something you do,” Heise said.
