Kirsten Simms

POSITION

Winger

SHOOTS

Right

HEIGHT

5'5

AGE

21 (Aug '04)

Shifts

A winger that excels in tight spaces with exceptional puck skills and an uncanny ability to create scoring opportunities. Reads developing plays with rare intelligence, threads passes through congested areas, and finishes at elite efficiency. Her shot is a world class threat—quick release, accurate from range and in close, especially dangerous on the power play. Clutch performer who’s relied upon by coaches when stakes are highest. Her work ethic is obsessive—constantly studying systems, breaking down film, refining her craft both on and off the ice.

Season	Team	League	GP	G	A	TP	PPG	+/-
25–26	Wisconsin	NCAA	31	26	33	59	1.90	40
24–25	Wisconsin	NCAA	41	25	47	72	1.76	48
23–24	Wisconsin	NCAA	39	33	42	75	1.92	50
22–23	Wisconsin	NCAA	41	16	16	32	0.78	17

2025–2627 Games Tracked

Goals

Per 602.49

Percentile100%

Assists

Per 603.28

Percentile100%

Points

Per 605.77

Percentile100%

Entries

Per 6016.74

Percentile91%

Corsi%

Total63%

Percentile93%

Source: InStat · Per 60 minutes · NCAA forwards 2025–26 · min. 100 TOI · n=537

2026 NCAA Draft Eligible ForwardsLast 3 NCAA Seasons Pooled

Goals

Per 602.33

Rank

2/39

Assists

Per 603.31

Rank

1/39

Primary PointsPrim. Pts

Per 604.49

Rank

1/39

Total PointsTotal Pts

Per 605.64

Rank

1/39

Net xG

Per 603.86

Rank

1/39

Source: InStat · Pooled totals · NCAA forwards · 2023–24 to 2025–26

Similar Players

Pattern of Dominance

There is nobody like Kirsten Simms. She is the most skilled player in the draft, with unparalleled hands and a rare ability to make plays that many others cannot. Kirsten played boys AAA hockey until she was 15 and is entering the PWHL Draft as one of its youngest players. She will step onto a team as a first-line winger and make an immediate impact on the power play.

Kirsten’s NCAA production is in a league of its own. She is the only player in this draft to record 70 points in the NCAA twice, and one of just a handful of active players—alongside Alex Carpenter, Hannah Brandt, and Kirsten herself—to surpass 1.75 points per game across three NCAA seasons. She is the only active player to do it in three consecutive seasons.

Among the 2026 draft class, she stands alone in achieving that mark more than once, joining a select group of just ten active players to have done so multiple times, like O’Brien, Watts, Fillier, Coyne Schofield, and Knight.

Clutch Gene

A true clutch champion, Kirsten has won at every level of the game—an Olympic gold medalist, world champion, three-time NCAA champion, U18 gold medalist, and Michigan State champion—consistently delivering when the stakes are highest.

Her ability to rise in defining moments is undeniable: she scored the game-winning goal in the 2022–23 National Championship, delivered a game-tying penalty shot in the 2024–25 NCAA Championship before securing the title with an overtime winner, and once again came through with a game-winning overtime goal to send Wisconsin to the 2025–26 NCAA Championship Final, among others.

Learns from the Best

Kirsten is obsessed with her development, constantly studying the game and working with an elite network of coaches to sharpen every dimension of her game. On the ice, she works with development coaches Adam Oates, Greg Wolfe, Matt Romaninski, Daryl Belfry, and Matt Larke. Her off-ice conditioning is guided by Brian Galivan, Head Strength Coach of the Buffalo Sabres — who has developed many NHL stars including Caufield, Debrincat, Werenski, the Hughes brothers, and others. Whether she's in the shooting cage, breaking down video, or training in the gym, Kirsten fully immerses herself in the sport even when she's not on the ice. This summer, Kirsten is adding further focus on power and explosiveness to her training with an emphasis on speed and physicality on and off the puck.

When Kirsten first arrived in Madison, we saw a game changer. Over her four years at Wisconsin, she's only lived up to that first impression. She's taken her game to another level—her playmaking has gotten really sophisticated, her hockey IQ has grown every season, and she's one of the smartest players in tight spaces I've coached. What's impressed me most is her growth as a leader and her consistency. She shows up in big moments and never flinches. She's always the first person to put the team on her back and take home a win. Her hands around the net are elite, and her ability to read the ice and make plays under pressure is exactly what translates to the next level. She's going to be one of the best in the world for years to come.

Jackie Crum
Wisconsin Assistant Coach

Accolades

3× National Champion

2025 Frozen Four MVP

Olympic Gold Medalist

2× Worlds Medalist – Gold, Silver

2× First Team All-American

3× Patty Kazmaier Finalist

1× WCHA Player of the Year

1× WCHA Forward of the Year

2× All-WCHA First Team

2× NCAA All-Tournament Team

USCHO All-Rookie Team

WCHA All-Rookie Team

Key Traits

Big Game Performer

Magician

Elite Vision

Offensive Zone

On the Puck

Elite creator with world-class deception and vision. Excels at generating opportunities for herself and teammates. Dominant PP threat with the ability to distribute and score from anywhere.

Off the Puck

Smart off-puck mover who finds soft ice and times routes into dangerous areas for passes and shots. Reads coverage to create passing options for teammates.

Neutral Zone

On the Puck

Maintains possession through skilled playmaking and controlled entries. Trails the play to receive drop passes in time and space, then uses elite IQ to make the next play.

Off the Puck

Uses IQ and positioning to support the rush defense. Closing speed compliments her awareness through the neutral zone.

Defensive Zone

On the Puck

Protects the puck along the boards and makes smart outlet passes to start clean breakouts. Composed distributor who finds teammates under pressure.

Off the Puck

Sound positionally; a reliable outlet for teammates with an active stick and smart reads in her own end.

As a development coach with the Oates Sports Group, I’ve had the privilege of working with some of the top players in the world. Whether it’s Nikita Kucherov, Connor McDavid, Nathan MacKinnon, Sidney Crosby, or Patrick Kane, they all share one defining trait: an unmatched hunger and determination to separate themselves from their competition. They understand that true advantage comes from mastering the smallest details of the game.

Working with Kirsten Simms over the past two and a half years has been no different than working with the elite players mentioned above. She brings that same hunger, that same drive to become the best in the world. Her commitment to improving the finer points of her game reflects a deep understanding of how those details elevate her overall performance.

I’m incredibly excited to watch her transition to the PWHL and confident that she will raise the standard of what it means to be a professional women’s hockey player—with her skill, hockey IQ, and unwavering dedication to the game.

Taylor Williamson
Development Coach, Oates Sports Group

Away from the Rink

Kirsten gives back to the sport by teaching, hosting a girls hockey camp in Michigan each summer, and investing in the next generation of players. Away from the rink, she values balance—spending time with family and friends, cooking, reading, and golfing. Through her involvement with Badgers Give Back, she has supported organizations such as the Ronald McDonald House and the Special Olympics, experiences that have grounded her and reinforced her sense of responsibility as an athlete with a platform.