Taylor Heise used being cut from the 2022 Olympic team as motivation for her career.
Since 2022, Heise has become a key player for the U.S. women’s hockey team.
She was the first overall pick in the PWHL Draft and led the Minnesota Frost to a championship.
Heise is now a member of the U.S. team competing at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan.
MILAN — There are two ways to respond when you’re cut: Sulk and let the hurt hold you back, or use the setback as fuel.
Taylor Heise did the latter.
One of the last cuts from the U.S. women’s hockey team for the 2022 Beijing Olympics, Heise has made herself indispensable over the last four years. Since 2022, she’s played in every game at the world championships. In April 2025, she had the assist on the game-winner as the U.S. beat Canada in overtime for their second title in three years. In the most recent Rivalry Series at the end of last year, Heise led the U.S. women with nine points as they walloped the Canadians 24-7 over four games.
Now, she’s in Milan for the 2026 Winter Olympics.
“(Getting cut) was definitely the best thing that ever happened to me,” Heise said. “It’s taken me a few years to figure it out, but (the Olympics) is something that I’ve wanted for a really long time and really bad. And it’s kind of just pushed me to figure out those things in me that I need to work on.
“I just feel like, in these past four years, I’ve had a lot of work mentally, physically, emotionally and spiritually. That I’ve just grown further,” Heise added. “And that’s just something that you can’t do without being cut or figuring out that you need to change something.”
Looking back, Heise said she didn’t realize that being in the player pool in the lead-up to the Beijing Games was only a beginning, not a culmination. The U.S. women’s team has a long history of success, and that is partly because of the team’s chemistry.
That is developed on the ice, yes. But it also comes from team dinners. Pranks in the locker room. Spending time together off the ice.
“I was like, ‘I just want to get there,’” Heise said. “I didn’t see it as one step at a time. I saw it as one big leap.”
When Heise returned to Minnesota to finish her senior season in 2022, she began putting her newfound lessons into practice. She went on to lead the nation in points and was second in goals, helping her earn the the Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award that season as the country’s best player.
After that NCAA season wrapped, she had back surgery, but new U.S. coach John Wroblewski named her to his team for the 2022 world championships anyhow.
“I just think it showed me that, mentally, I can get past anything,” Heise said.
Heise got COVID just before the tournament started, delaying her arrival until the day before the U.S. women’s opener against Japan. No matter. Heise had a game-high five assists as the Americans won 10-0. Heise would go on to lead the tournament in both goals scored and points, and was named tournament MVP even though the U.S. women lost to Canada in the final.
“I remember playing so free that tournament,” Heise said.
She spent one more year at Minnesota, leading the country in goals scored and finishing second in points. She was a finalist for the Kazmaier and a first-team All-American.
In September 2023, the Minnesota Frost made Heise the No. 1 pick in the PWHL Draft. She went on to lead the playoffs in scoring and was named Finals MVP as the Frost won the PWHL’s inaugural title.
Last season, she tied for a team-high six assists in the playoffs as the Frost won their second consecutive title.
Now, Heise is an Olympian. And grateful she wasn’t four years ago. The U.S. women begin their gold medal campaign with a preliminary round game against Czech Republic.
“It’s OK to not make a team because the next time it gives you that motivation to keep going,” Heise said. “If things keep going your way in life, sometimes it’s hard to get better because you’re just OK with things, with just being mediocre.
“So yeah, I’m very proud of myself,” she added. “… I just know for a fact I’ve been continuing to do the right things to put myself in the best position I can be.”
