Photo by Meghan White

Written By: Ryan Baker, Journalist

Rarely in sports does a championship runner-up enter the next season as the favorite, but that’s nearly the case for the Minnesota Wind Chill. Following a buzz-filled offseason, many people are placing Minnesota at the top of their list for 2026.

Minnesota has cemented its legacy and dominance in recent years. They reached Championship Weekend three years in a row, won the title in 2024, and finished as runner-up last year.

“The team's goal is a championship,” stated 2025 First Team All-Defense selection Justin Burnett. “Ask anyone, they're going to tell you the same thing. We're all aligned. We’ve improved, and I think our mentality is even hungrier than last season.”

Reaching a fourth straight appearance in 2026 will be even tougher for Minnesota. Boston Glory, the reigning champs, has three former MVPs. Minnesota’s schedule is the hardest in the league on paper. The division has gotten more competitive with Detroit disbanding and Indianapolis revamping its roster.

The Schedule

Head Coach Ben Feldman has made it a point in recent years to book the hardest possible schedule for his team, because they want to be battle-tested in the playoffs. For the upcoming season, they have four interdivisional games, with matchups against the Oakland Spiders, Vegas Bighorns, Salt Lake Shred, and a rematch with the Glory.

Only the games against Vegas and Pittsburgh would be a surprise if Minnesota lost. Every other matchup will be a weekly battle.

Looking deeper at the schedule, Minnesota opens at home for the first time since 2022. They face the Chicago Union. Although the Union has come back down to earth, the team is aware that history is not in their favor. Since 2021, Minnesota is 2-5 in home games versus Chicago.

After that, Minnesota will travel to Indianapolis to take on the bolstered AlleyCats roster. Indy features plenty of talent and returning names. The next three games are divisional: a trip to Chicago and Madison, then hosting Indy at Sea Foam Stadium.

“We got a tough May, and we need to come out of the gates really strong against divisional opponents,” said Feldman. “We have to perform well.”

With five divisional games under their belt, they will have to turn things up a notch with their next three being interdivisional, with that West Coast trip to take on Oakland and Vegas in a doubleheader weekend, then a home game against the Shred, a team Minnesota has not beaten in its two matchups.

“That stadium looks pretty windy,” said Captain Bryan Vohnoutka. “It looks like pretty up and down, and they have a phenomenal roster, so I'm excited to be able to test ourselves against them.”

Photo by Daniel Cohen

Minnesota gets a well-deserved week off to gear up for the 2026 season’s final stretch. After the break, they face an easier weekend with games against the Thunderbirds and Union. This will freshen them up for the rematch with Glory at Sea Foam. In classic fashion, Madison will come to Minnesota for the regular-season finale.

“Championships aren't won by teams that take the easy route,” said Burnett. “They are won by the teams that are tested time and time again and get better with every test. If you're not used to that, those high-pressure environments, then you might crumble.”

The Oakland, Boston, and Salt Lake games all have the potential to be games of the year and will expose the Wind Chill to their core, revealing what kind of team they are heading into an expected playoff run. That’s all part of the plan for Feldman and company.

“We saw last year that the regular season record doesn't matter one bit,” said Burnett.

The Roster

On paper, the Wind Chill have one of the best rosters in the league. New addition Lukas Ambrose is a former Defensive Player of the Year (2024) and First Team All-UFA (2024). Bryan Vohnoutka was Second Team All-UFA (2024), and Will Brandt is a two-time Third Team All-UFA (2024, 2025). The team boasts eight First Team All-Defense selections: Dylan DeClerck (2021), Ambrose (2023, 2024), Burnett (2023, 2025), Cameron Lacy (2024), Noah Hanson (2025), and new addition Noah Coolman (2025). There are also three Second Team All-Defense selections: DeClerck (2023), Burnett (2024), and Brandon Matis (2024).

“In practice, it's been frustrating playing against the D-line, because they're phenomenal,” said Vohnoutka.

That doesn’t include players like 2024 Most Improved Player Gordon Larson, Paul Krenik, who had five blocks in the semifinal game last year against Atlanta, and veteran and seventh in all-time assists, Josh Klane.

“Whatever role I can do that gets this team back to championship-winning caliber is what I'll do,” said Krenik.

Photo by Norman Timonera

Next, Thomas Shope scored 10 goals in four playoff games last year. Tristan Van de Moortele was third in assists for Minnesota last year. Blake Krapfl and Max Hanscom each had 15 blocks last year. Nathan de Morgan, added from Salt Lake, posted 12 assists, 8 goals, and 3 blocks in 6 games last year.

The list goes on and on. Feldman and his coaching staff will find it hard to select an active 20 for each game. Early season may be easier, since the college season prevents players like Shope and De Morgan from joining until later. Still, some who played every game last year may be left off the active 20 for certain games.

“Everyone's got to earn their keep,” said Feldman. “There's a lot of flashy things and people looking good now, but it all comes down to consistency and performing when you get your opportunity.”

“This is one of the fittest teams that Wind Chill has fielded in several years,” said Krenik. “All of us have been absolutely grinding in the gym in the offseason, and I think that it's definitely showing on the field.”

Last year’s roster had 27 more blocks than any other squad in the league. Seven players had over 10 blocks in 2025. This helped Minnesota have one of the best defensive seasons as a collective group. However, that was overshadowed by the Union's slightly better defensive season last year.

The Gameplan

Feldman says there may be changes in personnel and game plan this year, especially on offense. In 2025, Minnesota struggled to get its offense going early in games and lacked consistency.

The offense ranked in the bottom half for O-Line conversion rate. Minnesota had the tenth-worst hold percentage, the fifth-worst huck percentage, and the fifth-most turnovers. Improvement is needed if Wind Chill wants to reach the top. Against teams like Shred and Glory, possession value must be a top priority.

“We have been focused on simplifying our approach and really feeling confident in our fundamentals,” said Brandt. “We’re looking to prioritize possession and using our legs to move the ball.”

The focus this offseason has been on offensive synergy and a fluid rotation between the handlers and cutters.

“I think in previous seasons, we've been a little bit eager from a cutting perspective, and that's put us in some tough spots,” said Vohnoutka. “Oftentimes, cutters get disconnected from handlers, and then all of a sudden, handlers have to do a bunch of work there, which shows up a little bit early in the games. We have been doing a better job of that, and that is something that was very intentional from the coaching staff this year.”

Photo by Rich Moll

To help with that, Coolman could see a good amount of offensive points this season, along with the college guys getting placed on offense when they come back. Shope will surely provide an offensive surge when he comes back, considering his performance in the playoffs last year.

“I feel great,” said Coolman. “It’s an easy group to fit in with. I feel like I have a lot of versatility, so I’m able to plug in wherever I am needed.”

It's not just about the starting offense. The second group must also perform consistently. Feldman said Hanscom could be working his way into the offensive unit based on practice performance. Hanscom brings height, which Minnesota generally lacks.

“It's a long season,” said Feldman. “It's all about getting ready for the postseason at the end of the day. We'll test and run a lot of different stuff, I'm sure, up until we get to August, and make sure we put ourselves in a good spot to be successful come when it matters.”

Things to Keep an Eye on

• Coolman, Ambrose, and De Morgan’s debut at Sea Foam: “I’m most looking forward to playing in front of the fans at Sea Foam,” said Coolman.

• Klane needs 34 assists to move into top-five of all-time.

• If DeClerck gets 12 blocks this season (and three more than Ben Jagt), he moves into sixth all-time.

• The return of Matis after sitting out all year with an injury: “The last time I took a year off from playing frisbee was when we had Covid, and I remember thinking to myself, I never want to do that again.”

• The potential for the first-ever win in franchise history against the Shred.

• First-ever franchise matchup against Oakland.

• Van de Moortele is eight assists away from 100 in his career.

• DeClerck is nine goals away from 200 in his career.

• Klane is five goals away from 100 in his career.

• Hanson is 13 blocks away from 50 in his career.

• Vohnoutka is 25 yards away from 20,000 career total yards.

• Larson is 71 yards away from 10,000 career total yards.

Despite all of the hype, expectations, big names, talent, anticipated matchups, and history, Burnett remarked that the Wind Chill are focused on one thing: “Right now, we're focused on Chicago.”