History has a funny way of repeating itself in sports—and for Minnesota Frost head coach Ken Klee, it's almost word-for-word déjà vu.
On Saturday, following a thrilling 5-4 overtime victory over the Montreal Victoire, Klee found himself once again behind the microphone defending forward Britta Curl-Salemme. The reason? Another controversial hit to the head, this time targeting Montreal's Kaitlin Willoughby. The play resulted in a five-minute major penalty and a game misconduct ejection—a scene all too familiar for the Frost bench boss.
"Yeah, I mean, it's tough. Britta's awesome," Klee said, his tone measured. "She's a great player, a great person in our room, plays hard, plays the right way, plays physical. She's not out there obviously trying to hurt anyone. She's out there just trying to play hard."
It was almost the exact same script Klee delivered nearly a year earlier, on May 8, 2025, when Curl-Salemme earned a one-game suspension for a head shot on Toronto's Renata Fast during the opening round of the playoffs.
"Britta's a hard player," Klee said back then. "For me, it's just one of those hockey plays. It's nothing malicious. Obviously, it was a stiff penalty and it was tough. She's a good player, a great player, a great person, she plays extremely hard. She's an asset to our team as she would be to any team."
The repeat defense raises eyebrows, especially given Curl-Salemme's history. Last season, she became the first player in the PWHL to face supplemental discipline three times. Her first offense came in early January when she used her stick to "recklessly and dangerously make contact with Theresa Schafzahl in the neck and head," earning a one-game suspension. In March 2025, she was suspended again for extending "her elbow upward and outward as she delivered a high hit on opponent Megan Carter, making her head the main point of contact." The third came during the playoffs for the hit on Fast.
For fans and analysts watching the PWHL, this pattern raises tough questions about player safety versus physical play. In a league known for its intensity and growing talent, hits to the head remain a hot-button issue. Curl-Salemme brings undeniable energy and grit to the ice, but her repeated run-ins with discipline are impossible to ignore.
As the Frost push deeper into the postseason, all eyes will be on how the league handles repeat offenders—and whether Klee's unwavering support for his player holds up under the spotlight.