Britta Curl

Britta Curl-Salemme (; born March 20, 2000) is an American professional ice hockey player for the Minnesota Frost of the Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL) and a member of the United States women's national ice hockey team. She played college ice hockey at Wisconsin where she won three national championships.

Playing career

College

Curl began her collegiate career for the Wisconsin Badgers during the 2018–19 season. She recorded her first career goal on October 5, 2018, in a game against Mercyhurst. She was named the WCHA Rookie of the Week for the week ending October 30, 2018, after she recorded a goal and an assist to tie for the WCHA rookie scoring lead during the weekend. On February 9, 2019, she tied her career-high with three points in a game against Minnesota State. She was subsequently named WCHA Player of the Week for the week ending February 12, 2019. During a weekend series against St. Cloud State, she recorded two multi-goal games. Her four goals tied for the WCHA and NCAA lead in scoring. She became the seventh Badger freshman to score 20 or more goals in her rookie season. She was subsequently named the WCHA Rookie of the Week for the week ending March 5, 2019. During her freshman season, she recorded 22 goals and 11 assists and helped the Badgers win the National Collegiate Women's Ice Hockey Championship. Her 22 goals were tied for the fifth-most in program history by a freshman. She became the eighth Badger to score 20 goals her freshman year and the first player to do so since Annie Pankowski in 2015.

During the 2019–20 season she recorded 16 goals and nine assists in 36 games in a season that was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. On November 12, 2020, she was named an alternate captain for the 2020–21 season. During her junior season, she recorded seven goals and ten assists in 21 games and helped the Badgers repeat as national champions.

During the 2022–23 season, she served as captain and recorded 19 goals and 23 assists in 41 games, and helped Wisconsin win the national championship. She ranked second on the team in points with 43, led the team in goals with 19, and tied for the team lead in game-winning and power-play goals with four each. During the 2023–24 season, she again served as captain and appeared in all 41 games for the Badgers. She posted a career-high 62 points on 22 goals and 40 assists. She set a school record for consecutive games with a goal scored as she recorded 11 goals in ten consecutive games from September 29 to November 3.

She finished her collegiate career with 86 goals and 93 assists in 181 games played, and helped Wisconsin to reach four national finals and win three national championships in five seasons. She's Wisconsin's all-time leader in games played, and ranks seventh in program history in goals, 14th in assists, and ninth in points with 179.

Professional

On June 10, 2024, Curl was drafted in the second round, ninth overall, by PWHL Minnesota in the 2024 PWHL Draft. She signed a two-year contract with the team on June 21, 2024.

International play

Curl represented the United States at the 2018 IIHF World Women's U18 Championships, where she recorded four goals and four assists and won a gold medal.

On March 30, 2021, she was named to the roster for the United States at the 2021 IIHF Women's World Championship.

Personal life

Curl was born to Bill and Gretchen Curl. She has two brothers, Byrne and Cullen, and one sister, Brenna, who currently plays hockey for the Maine Black Bears. She attended St. Mary's Central High School, a private Catholic school in Bismarck, North Dakota. She married former Wisconsin Badgers wrestler Andrew Salemme on September 7, 2024.

Social media controversy

Curl has garnered controversy for her social media activity, which included reposting promotional material from ''The Daily Wire'' for '' What Is a Woman?'', a film that questions the intellectual rationale for societal recognition of gender identity and has been described as anti-trans or transphobic; liking a post supporting Kyle Rittenhouse; and liking a post from conservative commentator Candace Owens calling Target "perverted" for the sale of tuck-friendly women's swimwear as part of its 2023 Pride lineup.

Curl also posted in support of fellow hockey player Jocelyne Lamoureux after Lamoureux praised USA Powerlifting for an appeal to a ruling requiring it permit the participation of a transgender woman in its women's categories. Freelance journalist Nicole Haase called for Lamoureux's removal from the Professional Women's Hockey Players Association board due to "absolutely abhorrent transphobic behavior." Curl posted a response to Haase with the caption "Females protecting female players on the female players association board? Thank you @LamoureuxTwins 👏👏".

When her selection by Minnesota in the 2024 PWHL Draft led to backlash from some fans because of her political views, she posted an apology video to X and Instagram, stating in part "I specifically recognize that my social media activity has resulted in hurt being felt across communities including LGBTQ+ and BIPOC individuals. I just want to apologize and take ownership of that." The team released a statement about inclusivity on the same day, but did not directly reference Curl.

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

International

Awards and honors

References

External links

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Curl, Britta
2000 births
Living people
American women's ice hockey forwards
Ice hockey people from North Dakota
Sportspeople from Bismarck, North Dakota
Walter Cup champions
Wisconsin Badgers women's ice hockey players
21st-century American sportswomen