What to Do After Getting Cut From a Team: Taylor Heise’s Comeback Story

The Journey of an Athlete

Taylor Heise

I get interviewed a lot, but something I just don't get asked about very often is, how I had the comeback I did after getting cut from the '22. And now that I look back,I would never go back and do it any other way.

Elizabeth Montavon

Today I'm joined by Taylor Heise, an Olympic gold medalist with Team USA Hockey and one of the brightest stars in the women's game right now. From her decorated career at the University of Minnesota, where she won the Patty Katzmaier Award, to competing at the highest level internationally, she's built a reputation for her skill, vision, and relentless drive.

She now plays forward for the Minnesota Frost in the Professional Women's Hockey League., where she was the league's first ever draft pick in 2023 and has already helped lead the team to back-to-back championships, earning playoffs MVP honors in 2024. And as a dynamic forward who makes everyone around her better, she's quickly becoming one of the defining players to watch on the global stage.

Taylor, thank you so much for joining us today. I'm so excited to have you on the show. Tell me, how are you doing? What are you up to these days?

Taylor Heise

I'm doing really well. Thank you for having me. Today is just another day after practice. So I had practice this morning, made a little bit of lunch, sat outside since the UV was five today and just putting together some little things I bought. I'm getting a puppy here after the season. So just doing a little bit of getting my house ready for that.

Elizabeth Montavon

And anybody who is behind a pet brand, this is a great brand opportunity. There's a puppy incoming. So, yep, Taylor's your girl. Well, I'm glad to hear it. I know the story you have for us today is incredible. And to me, it's so wild to hear that you're back kind of in your normal season after such a pinnacle of your career winning an Olympic gold medal. So it's fun to get that behind the scenes peek at what it's really like to be an athlete in an Olympic sport.

Of course, the reason that we're all here today is to hear your story that nobody's ever asked you about. So I have the absolute pleasure of saying to you, Taylor, what's your sports story that nobody's ever asked you about?

Overcoming Setbacks and Finding Strength

Taylor Heise

I feel like I get interviewed a lot and there's a lot of different people that, you know, want to talk about the past. I want to talk about different things, but something I just don't get asked about very often is, you know, how I had the comeback I did after getting cut from the '22 Olympics. Just the details behind it, I think are important to share. The coach at the time was my college coach. So he saw me every single day. I really thought I was ready for the moment. And now that I look back, it was one of the biggest blessings to be cut from that team. bringing it back to 2022, I had been in college for I think three and a half years at this point, had a blast. The University of Minnesota was just an honor to be a part of and I would never go back and do it any other way.

I still have six of my best friends, six of us together, still hang out and talk all the time. to the story, know, I'm in college, I'm living my life, I'm doing what I'm doing, but I know in my head, 2022 is that next Olympics that I want to be a part of. And ever since I was a kid, I wrote Olympics over my light switch. I had goals. I wrote them out because my mom always said, when you write things out, they're, more important to you and they feel more real. So, you know, I would do that. You know, I was doing everything I could as a kid. I always wanted to play in the Olympics. I didn't know which sport. I played basketball and hockey as a kid and was just hoping one of the two would work out. And when I started to just be in the hockey field it was important to me that I was going to be able to accomplish this one dream that I had, since I had already committed to playing college hockey, in the university of Minnesota. So, you know, just doing everything I can every day and realizing my next opportunity was this next summer in 2022, knowing that I had a few tryouts. I was in Blaine, Minnesota, and was so excited for the trial. told my parents, I call my dad every day. And I remember during this camp, things just weren't working out for me, whether that's, know, the lineups I was with or, you know, just couldn't score, couldn't do what I wanted to do. And I do think the pressure got to me a little bit and taking it back to what I've done my whole life. Pressure has just been a part of everything. And I've never felt like I did in that week of tryouts. And in my head, I thought, you know what? My coach sees me every day. I don't have to be my best just for this one week, because for the Olympics, I understand you do have to be really good for that two weeks, but it's what everything else you put into it beforehand.

I remember calling my dad, I lied a little bit because I didn't want him to feel how frustrated and sad I was with how things were going. Honestly, when it ended that week, I ended up getting cut at the end of it. And one of the last cuts for that year and just was really, really hard for me. And I remember when I went home, I didn't have a lot of things like that happen to me ever. I was always very fortunate to work my way to the top and to stay there. And when I wasn't able to be there, it was really, really hard.

Just thinking about me sitting; I remember when I got home from camp, it was like a random Tuesday in the summer, I think. And I remember I went home and I just took like a three hour nap on the couch. I was just so mentally drained and just had no idea what was next for me. I knew I was gonna continue to play back at the University of Minnesota for my senior season. But when I had gotten cut from that, I knew that I would give myself a little bit of time, but that I was gonna come back and I was gonna come back with a fury. And that year I ended up being the Patty Kazmaier winner. So that's the best player in college hockey in 2022. I believe that was the year. And then I just really wanted to prove myself. And I think now I hate, I hate that saying is like, I want to prove myself for other people. What I do is I prove it to me. I prove it to who I am. I prove it that every day that I've sacrificed to be where I'm at, it was worth it. And if you keep trying to prove other people wrong and you keep trying to do it for other people, I feel like it's just this constant unhealthy cycle. And I really got out of that, thinking after the Olympics and my parents and the people in my life who love me so much just really helped me to get out of that funk, but also realize like, yeah, I wasn't good enough for the moment. And I didn't fit the puzzle piece that was correct for that time. Doesn't mean I wasn't good enough, just doesn't mean it was my time. So I think the story that people don't ask me about is that. It's hard, because it's hard to talk about, people don't wanna talk when things are hard. And I wasn't ready to talk about it in ‘22. And now that I've completed the one goal that I had left that I've been so excited to get after.

Now I love talking about it because I truly do think if I if I would have made that team in ‘22, you know I'm a I'm a believer that I would be making in ‘26, but you never know like I could have taken my first one and been like well I've done it and and that's it. So I would say long story short. That's the that's kind of the basis of this the story and question people never asked me

Elizabeth Montavon

Incredible story, incredible comeback. I think a lot of times people don't know to ask about that because those moments as an athlete when we develop a new type of maturity in our sport, they're often uncomfortable or like very awkward and they make people uncomfortable to hear about because they are so emotionally driven. But it's an important and integral part of every athlete's story. You and I would not be who we are today without many of these maturity moments.

You know, I would love your perspective on, talking about how the Olympics has always been a goal of yours, regardless of sport, Olympics is where you saw yourself. But you also talked about how getting cut from the team in 2022 fueled so much drive and a comeback. Do you think that the long-term visionary Taylor, who always saw herself in the Olympics, is more what drove your win in 2026, or was it this comeback and this moment of growth, that you would attribute the win?

Taylor Heise

I would say probably a little bit of both, but I always look back and think like, would younger Taylor want and what would she want to do? And, I missed a lot of things when I was a kid. I really, really, really was dedicated to what I was doing. And to this day, I tell people that's the reason why I'm successful. It's not always what I'm doing now. It's the three hours a day that I did as a kid where I'm stick handling shooting and doing all these things that even people my age now are still working on because they didn't get them as kids. So I think fueling like the visionary of who I was as a kid and the creativity that flowed through me, I think is kind of what pushed me into 2026. I think I gave myself that time to get my “get back.” That's what I called it. I was getting my “get back.” Like I was going to come back and I was going to do it. Um, but then I didn't want to be fragile. I didn't want to be someone that was mad about something. I wanted to be fueled with happiness because I was able to find myself in a moment of uncertainty of unhappiness.

Elizabeth Montavon

I love it.

Taylor Heise

So I think just really being able to find myself in that moment, I would say the visionary part of me is probably what helped me. I think it started out with, you know, the sadness and the madness that came along with not making and doing what I wanted to do, because it's rare. And I do really think it's important to talk about because a lot of people who see me just see the good stuff. And my parents and my fiance and everyone that knows me would understand at the highest level that things were not perfect. There were times where I wanted to quit and where my team wasn't good and I had to always be the person to rely on and that's really hard as someone who's 12 years old. And now I get to show kids and talk to kids when, whether it's my camp that I run in the summers or just when I'm able to talk to kids, it's really important that they see that those times of struggle and times where you don't want to do it anymore are really important because if you don't have those and you're 24 years old and life comes and hits you in the face, you're not going be able to get back up. So for me, it was really important. I used that 2022 in a positive way instead of taking it and spending it negatively and turning my 2026 experience into the best experience in my life.

Elizabeth Montavon

You know, that taking something bad and finding a way to make it a positive, and I love your saying, the “get back,” making the get back a happiness thing, making it a good thing in your life, Lindsey Vonn comes to mind right away, right? Those moments are so pivotal for athletes, and frequently those are the moments right after we hear their story, and that's what we remember them for. But you know, right before Operation Get Back, when you took that three hour nap and it was like, the weight of everything kind of came off, can imagine, and you just needed to recover. What was like step one for you personally? After you got that rest you needed, how did you get back on the horse? What was step one?

Taylor Heise

I think one thing too that I expected of myself that I knew was going to be hard was watching the Olympics in 2022. And my best friend at the time, Grace Zumwinkle, was able to go and I didn't get to go. And I didn't want that. I didn't want there to be resentment. I didn't want to be sad or mad. I wanted to be able to sit there. And I think there was like a four month period in between because you get cut and then they get to do residency. So I think it was like five months.

So in between that, I wanted to really give myself a week break. I remember, I think I took a week and which ended up probably being four days. Cause me being without a hockey stick is so odd. But I remember I took those four days and I think I, you know, did what I wanted. I did some mental health stuff, right? You know, I met with a sports psych and then, you know, I'm doing some self care. I'm just trying to get my kind of who I am back because I feel like I lost it. And when you lose who you are, it's really scary.

But I also say hockey is something I do, it's not who I am, and in that moment I felt like I was who I am and when you put your foundation something that can crumble so easily It's really hard to get it back. So I feel like I wanted to get who I was back and then I got right back on the horse I remember I scheduled my training sessions, you know, I had my dad and my brothers out in the shed Which is where I lived we had a shed out back and I would shoot pucks And I think I broke a window that week probably for the better because it was either a window or something else, and then from there, just think, you know, I, was really looking forward to watching that Olympics and seeing, you know, what, what I didn't do in order to get there. So I made myself watch the games and I remember watching it with the gopher team actually at the time and just honestly having no resentment at all. Because that was my goal by the time that four months came along, I wanted no resentment because I knew the next time that my name was called, I was going to make that team because I wasn't going to let it happen again.

Elizabeth Montavon

Wow, I've been in that scenario as well where I didn't make a finals. It's something that really mattered to me. And watching it, watching your friends and competitors compete in that finals, it's like having your heart ripped out because it was right there, right? It was in the palm of your hand, but it wasn't the time. And that's something we all learn the hard way in sports is that we have to go through these things because it does make the wins and the victories so much sweeter.

The Role of Pressure in Sports

Elizabeth Montavon

Something you mentioned earlier that really intrigued me was pressure, and how through most of your career you have experienced a type of pressure, and pressure can be very good. I know in society sometimes that word can be negatively charged, but it's absolutely mandatory in sports. And I believe it was Billie Jean King who is, you know, we attribute the quote, “pressure is a privilege,” to her. knowing her involvement and how integral she's been in creating the PWHL. Do you feel like that sentiment of embracing pressure and seeing it as a positive, does that come through in the entire league?

Taylor Heise

Yeah, I think Billie Jean King in a sense is, you know, she's been someone that's really helped be integral in moving this league along. and she was the one that ended up, I think, mentioning me as the number one draft pick. And I got to go up and shake her hand and take a picture with her. And I don't remember most of it. But the parts that I do like she's just so integral. And when she sees this after games, she's just, you know, just this icon that you can look up to. And I always say pressure is a privilege, too. It's definitely not a term that I coined, but I've always wanted to be in those pressure filled situations. So when I'm in it and I get stressed out or, or whatnot, I always like to talk it out because it's really important. Like I want to keep being in these spots because I want my team to, to, to see me as someone that's going to come back and help us win a game. Say we're down by one, they want me out there on the ice in a gold medal match. I want to be playing through on three and overtime. I don't want to be sitting on the bench. And if I'm sitting on the bench, that's fine because at the moment that's not meant for me, but pressure is where I want to be. I, people say pressure makes diamonds. And I always say, I want to be out there and I want to be the best that I can possibly be for my team, not just for me, but for my team. So I think pressure is huge. And in the PWHL, we can see people, talk about mental health, we talk about, you know, things that feel debilitating in the moment, but are like some of the biggest things that can help make you a whole person. And it's so important to remember those things. Because it's hard when you learn, you learn those lessons at such an early age for me, like I was on a team when I was 10 that, you know, I was playing a shift of defense, a shift of four and then getting off the ice like five minutes later and then doing the same thing over again, because we didn't have the skill and the people in the, the moment to help teams win. And it was just on me. And I remember like I, I've had anxiety since I was young and just kind of dealing with that and understanding, kind of like how that works for me and how I can help get over it. I think sports psych has been something that has really helped me out since college as well as something in our league that's been a great source for everyone to be able to talk out, now, because we're all feeling the same thing. Like everyone feels it and you feel the weight of every young girl in the stands on your heart when you're out playing because it's their dream too. And being able to continue along this wonderful path that we're on, it's important to think of them as well. So the pressure is a privilege.

But having to deal with that is also really tough. So just making sure you're taking good care of yourself is something that our league really depends on.

Elizabeth Montavon

I love that you brought that up because something that has been so fascinating to me about women's sports in recent years is that with the development of these new leagues and teams: resources around mental health, it's not a question. They're absolutely mandatory. And I love that these teams and leagues are valuing their players because that is their asset. They're valuing them so appropriately by not making it, “that's for people who are really messed up,” right? Or, “We don't talk about that, that's taboo.” I love that in women's sports, it's very normalized because it's a game changer, not to be very pun intended here, but it is a game changer. Your perspective on all of this has made you such an incredible leader on the ice. And you've also mentioned other leaders in sport who you look up to and you've really embraced their philosophy on sport. I would love to know more about other leaders though in your life. Early on you mentioned your college coach was, do I understand correctly, he was involved in the decision to cut you from the 2022 team?

Coaching and Personal Growth

Taylor Heise

He was the head coach of both the U.S. Olympic team and he was an assistant coach back at the University of Minnesota as well. And I hold no resentment towards that because it's what you think in the moment is right. And I was 22 years old, I was young and I thought I was the best and that's just how it goes. But yes, that's true.

Elizabeth Montavon

So tell me a little bit about how that relationship worked because, you know, we all have to embrace great coaches and great leaders because of their experience and their wisdom and the vision that they have for us. And so I'm sure even though it was a difficult decision, you were able to trust that this was right for Taylor in the big picture. But what was that like immediately for you?

Taylor Heise

Yeah, I think immediately, you know, I was resentful. I wanted to be where I, you know, I'd always thought I was meant to be. And in that moment, it wasn't. And I always say, God puts you in the right places for a reason. And mine was to not be on that team. And I learned a lot through that 2022 year. And, now, when I was able to come back after the Olympics, things were just fine between the two of us. And I think, you know, I had learned a lot, had grown a lot. Brad Frost, who was the coach of the Gophers that year, I remember telling me at end of the year, he's like, you've grown in ways that I didn't know was possible. And I'm so excited to see, you know, how your career is going to continue on. And he was, “I really think this is the best thing for you.” And it's hard to hear that from someone. And people can say cliches like that all the time and just say, it wasn't meant for you. Like move along. This is the Olympics we're talking about. This is my number one goal. And in the moment, it didn't make sense. And I remember when I came back, to the Gophers I lived in the hockey house. So there's nine of us there and a big house and all these girls. I remember I got sent this box of apparel because I was an alternate for the Olympics. And I remember saying, girls, go for it. I don't want anything but this Beijing Olympic accreditation. Because I'm keeping this because the next time I get one, I'm keeping it and this is going to mean something to me.

So I remember all my friends are going ham in this box, grabbing all this USA apparel. And I'm like, take it. I want none of it. I don't even want to look at it. And I had that accreditation in my sock drawer and I would look at it when I grabbed my socks and I would, you every day I'd see it. And, just the growth that I learned from, from 2022 is a crazy year. to think like 2026 is a way bigger year for me than 2022 was, but in order to get to ‘26, ‘22 was necessary.

Elizabeth Montavon

And I think it must speak to, you're a very coachable athlete and you have to be coachable in these pivotal moments as an athlete. You have to be willing to take guidance when you feel like all the chips are down and nothing is going your way. Otherwise, you either figure it out yourself, which is probably the hard way, or you don't figure it out at all, right? And so even though I'm sure that was devastating news and you were slightly resentful in the beginning, it's great to hear that your coachability and your drive to grow took over in that moment.

Taylor Heise

Yeah, totally. And I'm not going to sit here and say I'm the most coachable kid. I'm definitely stubborn. We worked through a lot. That's just the way I was raised. My fiance would say the same. But yeah, you do in the moment just have to say, all right, I'm going let God figure this out for me. But I do need to work and I need to get back to what I'm doing. And I remember my first practice back with the Gophers must have been like maybe not even a month after getting cut. And I remember I was out there and I was on a tear and my friends were like, you scare me.

Like this is scary, but it's good because I can tell this year is going to be just the year for you. And I remember I had such a great year, but I can't imagine if 2022 didn't work out the way that I thought it would even after the Olympics. having getting cut from this team and then not having a good season would have really put me down. And I knew from that moment that I wasn't going to let that happen. And even the games where things wouldn't go great. like, I need to change this because I need to be better for my team. But I also need to be better because when 2026 rolls back around, even though it's four years away and the Olympics hasn't even started yet for 2022, I'm going to be there. So just having that mindset and honestly, just taking what Frosty, Brad Frost and my assistant coaches and everything at the time, what they said and just truly was like, I have to believe in this right now because that's just what I have to do. And by the time I get to where I want to be, I'm going to thank people for telling me that it's okay to feel the way I'm feeling and to be sad about it.

Elizabeth Montavon

Incredible. I mean, that's incredible perspective. I had one question that I had prepared for you and it feels so incredibly redundant and idiotic now, but I was going to ask you, Taylor, knowing where you've ended up in 2026 just so far and everything you've accomplished since 2022, do you wish 2022 had gone any differently? And I feel like I already know the answer to that question.

Taylor Heise

I got to trust in the fact that that year did and did exactly what it was supposed to do. I think, you know, not, not making it, having a great year, you know, enjoying the heck out of my senior year with my friends at school. not being resentful of my best friend playing in the Olympics, learning this, I think we ended up losing in the semifinals and the national championship, which you know, was heartbreaking, but getting there and seeing, know, how far we'd come, was so important to me. And, and just looking back on 2022, I look back at pictures and I look different. I felt different in the moment and I was a different person. So just growing from that. like, I just feel like as a person, not even the hockey side of things, I knew I'd come out on the better side of that. Like it's just dialing in and figuring out what you need to be better at. but like who I am as a person, I feel like I just changed so much. And, I understand why the people in my life did what they did. They sacrificed a lot for me. They did what they did because they knew that I was going to come out of something like this. And that's another reason why I wanted to do it because all the people in my life that sacrificed the hour and a half drive to the cities and back for a practice every single day, bringing me to school 30 minutes and back, watching my games, even when they weren't fun because my team wasn't very good. Like all those things, like it's the get back. It's not just for me, it's for everyone else. And I didn't want to look back at my life and be, you know, sad or mad about me not being able to finish certain things. Yeah, life's not perfect, but understanding that and then moving towards the way you want to live your life is super important. And I think everything that I've done, honestly, since I was eight, when I started playing hockey was for the moments that I'm in now.

Looking Ahead: Future Aspirations

Elizabeth Montavon

Well, speaking of the giveback, thank you for pulling back the curtain on this whole story. Obviously, there were so many headlines about Team USA women's hockey and this incredible gold medal, but for us at Parity, we know that the story starts sometimes years before. And so thank you for taking us back and making the story that much more glorious. Tell us, what's on the horizon for you? Where are you playing? What's coming up? What are you looking forward to?

Taylor Heise

So right now I'm playing with the Minnesota Frost. I actually have a game tomorrow at noon. And we've already clinched playoffs, which is amazing because in the past two years when we've won both Walter Cups, we've clinched on the last possible day and it was very anxiety driven. And now we've clinched and we're able to play these last five games with, you know, limited anxiety and just trying to get ourselves ready for playoffs. So playoffs will start early May and I think this team's so ready for this moment. And I'm really excited to see how, you know, we roll through it. Obviously we've won both years and people are going to want to kick our butts. That's just the way that it goes. But super excited for playoffs. And then after that, I'm getting a puppy. I'm getting married this year. I'm going on a honeymoon and then back on the horse right after that for a year for the PWHL. So, lots going on, lots of fun stuff. And 2026 has been pretty good for me. And I also got to go to the Olympics. So really just a really fun year.

Elizabeth Montavon

2026 is the year of Taylor Heise; I think we can stamp that somewhere. It's good. Everybody else coast the rest of the year. This year's about Taylor, and we love to see it.

Taylor Heise

I will happily share this year with other people if they want it to, but we gotta be stepping up, getting better every day.

Elizabeth Montavon

A lot to keep up with here, but I mean, obviously athletes can do it if anybody can. So everybody like whatever Taylor's doing, just copy paste, and get good like Taylor. What an incredible year this is going to be for you. I'm so excited to follow along. Well, this means it's time for our final segment called the last lap. This is our Parity athlete trivia segment. So Taylor, if you, Taylor Heise, were the answer to a sports trivia question, what would that trivia question be?

Taylor Heise

I would say there's just so many good things, but I'm going to do multi-part. It would be who was the first overall draft pick in the PWHL who is a two-time, potentially three-time Walter Cup champion and a gold medalist all within four years. That's me. That's what I would, that's what I would say.

Elizabeth Montavon

Hell yeah. Yeah, that's the kind of trivia question everybody aspires to be, by the way. That's the one.

Taylor Heise

My brother was actually at a trivia night at a bar two nights ago and he had literally texted me and he said, I knew the answer to one of the questions because it was you. It was like a hockey trivia night and one of the answers was me and there was a person there that was wearing my Frost jersey. So I was like, that's pretty cool. Like who would have thought that's where we'd be right now.

Elizabeth Montavon

This is what women's sports dreams are made of. Like this is the moment, my God, and you're getting to live it and be it for all these little girls. So cool. Well, Taylor, thank you so much for joining us. This was really fun. I just so appreciate you opening up on the show. Everybody, you got a lot of Taylor to watch this year. It's the year of Taylor.

Taylor Heise

Yes, everyone follow along, put your backpack on, get ready to go because it's going to be a fun one.

Elizabeth Montavon

I love it. Thanks, Taylor.

Taylor Heise

Thank you.