Emma Greco Brings The Cup Home, Before Beginning Next Chapter

The Minnesota Frost defender spent part of her time with the Walter Cup in her hometown of Burlington, Ontario, where she met with young players, friends, and families (including her own).

After winning the first-ever Walter Cup PWHL championship, members of the Minnesota Frost had the opportunity to have the Cup for a day and take it on the road to share and celebrate.

Taylor Heise and Grace Zumwinkle threw out the first pitch at a Minnesota Twins game at Target Field.

As well, Heise, Zumwinkle, Sydney Brodt, and Kelly Pannek visited the Minnesota Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium in front of 66,741 fans and posed with the Cup.

Almost all of the Frost players brought the Cup to a local arena or youth camp in their hometowns, making an important impact on the hockey community and creating memories and inspiration for young players.

For defender Emma Greco, her day (which was almost two days) was spent celebrating with friends in the Toronto area, sharing dinner, taking photos, sipping out of and posing for photos with the Cup. But she made sure to make time to go back to her roots and invited families and players at the Mainway Arena in Burlington, Ontario to experience the Cup firsthand.

Also celebrating with the Cup were Emma’s parents and her older brother and sister, as well as her partner Michela Cava, who was also a member of the Cup-winning team.

“It means a lot coming back to a rink that I grew up playing hockey in, and to come back with the Burlington Barracudas who is the youth program that I was a part of is just really special,” Greco said.

Cava added, “I haven't seen [the Cup] since when we won, so it's been really nice to have it around again and then just to be here with Emma’s family and support her and see all the young girls excited to see her and meet her.”

As Emma signed autographs and posed for photos with young Barracudas and people of all ages – giving out autographed photos and helping lift the Cup countless times – her sister Sam and brother Cole shared some memories of Emma’s young athletic exploits, especially on the soccer field.

“When she was really young, in soccer, she would score 30 goals in a season,” Cole remembered. “There’s a funny story with my dad actually, where my dad gets a call from the convener of the league, and he said, ‘I didn’t know you were an assistant coach.’

“A coach in the league had claimed my dad was his assistant coach, and he did that so Emma would be on his team. She was about seven,” he laughed. (And note: The coach’s ploy didn’t work).

Sam (who lives in Vancouver) vividly recalled the PWHL finals, saying, “we were able to be at the final game and it was probably one of the proudest moments we’ve shared together. We were both crying; it was very special for us.

“I flew from Vancouver to Minnesota, hoping they’d win in Minnesota, and then that goal! [The overtime goal that appeared to win the Cup for Minnesota was overturned.] I was hugging a lot of strangers, and then the goal got called back. Then my brother called us immediately and asked, “Are we flying to Boston?” And I said, ‘we’re flying to Boston!’ And we got to share that moment with her on the ice, and it was awesome.”

The pride and collaborative spirit of the Greco family showed clearly as each one helped hand out cupcakes, held babies, took their own photos, and chatted with anyone who wanted to know more about Emma’s hockey history.

Sam added that they’re enjoying this success with their sister: “We’re eating it up, we’re happy to be along for the ride, and we’re here to support her in whatever she needs support with, but we’re very happy to be able to experience this with her.”

Her dad John also beamed with pride as he shared memories of Emma qualifying for a soccer scholarship at Quinnipiac in her graduate year while she acquired her MBA after her hockey career was over. She was one of the strongest defenders on the team, and playing two sports equally well is an accomplishment that illustrates just how special Greco’s athletic talents are.

Typically, in modest fashion, Emma said only that she was happy to play soccer again: “I mean, it was definitely an adjustment because I hadn’t played soccer in so long, but I had my senior spring to train and try out and it was super fun. It was a great experience. It was nice to play soccer again — something I never thought I was going to play at that level, obviously. It was Grade 11 that I quit and pursued hockey, so it was nice being able to play that sport again.”

Greco herself has shown championship qualities over and over, winning the ECAC championship with Quinnipiac and then the Isobel Cup with the Toronto Six in 2023. But the Walter Cup championship stands out among those.

“I don't think I could have ever dreamt of being not only in the PWHL but being the first ever winner of the Walter Cup. It’s a part of history and something that I will never forget.”

Greco’s mother Deb had a joyful reaction to seeing a super fan named Becca arrive with a #25 Minnesota jersey and the sign she had carried to Toronto, Minnesota, and Boston as she followed the quest for the Cup. Clearly, this day meant as much to fans, supporters, and young hockey players as it did to Emma. Winning any championship isn’t a solitary achievement, and sharing the pride and accomplishment with the people and places that help athletes become who they are is always an important part of the summer of celebration.

As Emma said, “I love my family and they've been so supportive throughout my entire life in sports. We get along great. I love hanging out with them. We're a really close family and I'm super happy that I got to experience my win with Minnesota with them, and then the weekend with the Cup with them as well.”