Frost place Natalie Buchbinder on long-term injured reserve

Some roster moves for a team gearing up for the Walter Cup Playoffs.

On Wednesday, the Minnesota Frost placed defender Natalie Buchbinder on long-term injured reserve due to an upper-body injury. In response, the team activated forward Sam Cogan to the main roster with a standard contract, with forward Kaitlyn O’Donohoe signing a 10-day contract.

Buchbinder has already missed the past four games after suffering an injury in a game against the Montreal Victoire on March 25. In that game, she fell after an awkward collision with Victoire forward Jade Downie-Landry, forcing the 27-year-old to leave the game. Per the league’s LTIR rules, the New York native could return to the lineup whenever she’s ready.

In 22 games this year, Buchbinder has potted a goal and an assist, with a plus/minus of +12, which ties her for sixth in the PWHL.

Cogan has already played a pair of games with Minnesota after signing a 10-day contract almost two weeks ago, though she has yet to register a point. She joined the team as a reserve after finishing her SDHL season with SDE HF last month. The former Wisconsin Badger played 23 games for the Toronto Sceptres in the league’s inaugural season, scoring two goals.

Cogan will have a chance to play her former team on Sunday, when the Frost host the Sceptres in their final home game of the 2025-26 regular season.

O’Donohoe has been on and off the main roster this season. After starting the season on the reserve list, she signed an SPA after Dominique Petrie was placed on LTIR. She was later moved to the reserves after captain Kendall Coyne Schofield returned to the lineup last month. She has played in eight games this year, scoring her first PWHL goal on March 18 against the Ottawa Charge.

Both O’Donohoe and Cogan are expected to be in the lineup on Wednesday night, when Minnesota faces the Boston Fleet.

The Frost (13-3-4-6) sit third in the PWHL with just over a week remaining, five points back of the Fleet for second. The two-time defending champs cannot finish worse than third.