The Minnesota Golden Gophers got a huge recruit as 16-year-old defender Chloe Primerano announced her decision to commit to the program last weekend on her Instagram account.
https://www.instagram.com/p/p:CzMoinHSMe4
While landing any top recruit is news for the Gophers, Primerano is a special case as a Canadian phenom and a rising star in women’s hockey.
Primerano was the first female skater to be selected in the WHL Bantam Draft last May when the Vancouver Giants selected her with a 13th-round pick. Prior to that, she played boys varsity and prep U15 hockey for the Burnaby Winter Club, tallying 19 points (2 goals, 17 assists) in 30 games.
“What separates Chloe from a lot of others would be her hockey IQ,” RINK Academy Kelowna Kris Hogg told The Hockey News. “She sees the ice so well and is thinking two or three plays ahead. She has the ability to slow the game down or speed it up and can play the game at the pace she wants. It’s really unique at the U18 level to this from any athlete. On top of this, she is a competitor. She loves the challenges that face her as a young hockey player and rises up to the challenges. She strives to get better everyday and this is the number one separator all great hockey players have.”
The Hockey News dubbed her as Canada’s next phenom and Primerano was the first female to attend CAA Sports’ annual summer hockey camp in Los Angeles last July, along with Berkly Catton and Ryder Richie, who are potential top-ten picks in next year’s NHL Draft.
Primerano’s full set of skills was also on display at the camp, drawing the praise of on-ice instructor Jim Hughes, who is the father of NHLers Quinn, Jack and Luke Hughes.
“I had no doubt in mind that she would do well,” Fellow on-ice instructor and former NHL player Byron Ritchie told The Athletic in July. “But she was actually elite at the camp. Like, Jimmy Hughes did a ‘D’ skating session with all the defensemen, and he came over to me after and told me that she was the best defensive skating defenseman out there. And coming from Jim Hughes, who has two of the best skating defensemen in the world (as sons), that means a lot.”
The things Chloe Primerano does in a game that make you say 'wow' are growing in number. If you want to see glimpses of her elite skill, check out this blueline walk, puck protection, feigning off the checkers. Outstanding. pic.twitter.com/IqWWgCpQNJ
— Ian Kennedy (@IanKennedyCK) August 17, 2023
Primerano’s emergence comes at the same time that women’s hockey continues to grow. The Professional Women’s Hockey League, which includes a team in Minnesota, will launch in January 2024.
“It’s pretty special to be able to look up and see women playing in a professional league now, and see that there is something that we can do, somewhere that we can play,” Primerano told The Athletic. “It’s pretty awesome to have that, and something to look forward to.”
The women’s game has also continued to grow internationally with Sweden and Finland joining the United States and Canada as international powers.
While Primerano could join the U18 Canadian team, her commitment will generate plenty of excitement for the Gophers women’s hockey program.
