Ava Rinker
| Ava Rinker | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Born |
November 25, 2002 Elverson, Pennsylvania, U.S. | ||
| Height | 5 ft 4 in (163 cm) | ||
| Position | Defense | ||
| Shoots | Right | ||
| PWHL team | Minnesota Frost | ||
Ava Rinker (born November 25, 2002) is an American ice hockey defenceman currently as a reserve player for the Minnesota Frost of the Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL). She played college ice hockey for the UConn Huskies. She was selected 30th overall by the Minnesota Frost in the 2025 PWHL Draft.
Early life
Rinker is from Elverson, Pennsylvania. Her interest in hockey was piqued by watching a Hershey Bears game, after which she started playing street hockey with her brother. She soon was playing mites with boys.[1]
Rinker played in the Philadelphia Jr. Flyers girls' hockey program before enrolling at UConn.[2] She played for the Jr. Flyers for six years, served as a two-time captain, and was their first Division I recruit and first PWHL draftee.[1]
Playing career
College
Rinker appeared in all 144 games across four seasons at UConn. As a senior assistant captain in 2024–25, she posted career highs with 20 points (3 goals, 17 assists) in 36 games and was named to the Hockey East First All-Star Team. She also earned Hockey East Defender of the Month (February).[3][4][5]
Professional
On June 24, 2025, Rinker was drafted in the fourth round, 30th overall, by the Minnesota Frost.[6] Following pre-season training camp, she was announced as a reserve player for the Frost prior to the 2025–26 season.[7]
Personal life
Rinker's brother, AJ, uses a wheelchair and plays for the Flyers' PowerPlay team, a power wheelchair floor hockey team.[1]
Career statistics
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 2021–22 | UConn | Hockey East | 35 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 8 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2022–23 | UConn | Hockey East | 35 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 12 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2023–24 | UConn | Hockey East | 38 | 3 | 10 | 13 | 15 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2024–25 | UConn | Hockey East | 36 | 3 | 17 | 20 | 18 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| NCAA totals | 144 | 8 | 37 | 45 | 53 | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
Source: College Hockey Inc.; Hockey East.[8][9]
Awards and honours
| Honour | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| College | ||
| Hockey East First All-Star Team | 2025 | [10] |
References
- ^ a b c Snider, Sidney (July 3, 2025). "Ava Rinker played on the Junior Flyers girls' hockey team. Now, she's headed to the PWHL". Philadelphia Inquirer. Archived from the original on August 16, 2025. Retrieved November 20, 2025.
- ^ "Ava Rinker – Player Profile". Neutral Zone. Retrieved October 9, 2025.
- ^ "Ava Rinker – Women's Ice Hockey". UConn Athletics. Retrieved October 9, 2025.
- ^ "Hockey East Names 2024–25 Women's All-Star Teams". HockeyEastOnline.com. February 28, 2025. Retrieved October 9, 2025.
- ^ "Women's Weekly Release". HockeyEastOnline.com. February 18, 2025. Retrieved October 9, 2025.
- ^ "Americans Selected in the 2025 PWHL Draft". USA Hockey. June 24, 2025. Retrieved October 9, 2025.
- ^ "Minnesota Frost Announce 2025-26 Roster". thepwhl.com. November 20, 2025. Retrieved November 20, 2025.
- ^ "Player Career Stats – Ava Rinker". College Hockey Inc. Retrieved October 9, 2025.
- ^ "Ava Rinker – Career Statistics". HockeyEastOnline.com. Retrieved October 9, 2025.
- ^ "Hockey East Names 2024–25 Women's All-Star Teams". HockeyEastOnline.com. February 28, 2025. Retrieved October 9, 2025.
External links
- Biographical information and career statistics from Eliteprospects.com, or ThePWHL.com
- HockeyDB profile
- UConn Huskies bio