In the “State of Hockey,” one veteran player is hanging up her skates for good — delivering a farewell letter that condemns her league for prioritizing transgender inclusion over women’s safety and fairness.
Rachel Stoneberg, 42, a former University of St. Thomas player and 20-year staple in the Women’s Hockey Association of Minnesota (WHAM), shared her “Dear Hockey: Goodbye” letter to social media.
In her letter — sent to WHAM on Oct. 10 — Stoneberg laments the end of her three-decade long relationship with the sport over the league’s decision to allow biological males to compete on women’s teams.
🚨NEW: Another player for the Women’s Hockey Association of Minnesota (WHAM) publicly calls it quits in heartbreaking goodbye letter to hockey.
Despite a petition and player complaints, WHAM has refused to change its trans policy allowing men to participate.
*Shared with… https://t.co/LejFidnsjJ pic.twitter.com/pS0rXzi1sQ
— Liz Collin (@lizcollin) October 26, 2025
Time to say goodbye
“For the first time in 30 years, I won’t be lacing up the skates this October. It’s the end of an era,” Stoneberg wrote, reflecting on her journey from a seventh-grade novice in Hastings to college stardom and adult league play.
She praised the growth of girls’ and women’s hockey in Minnesota — from its early days to the launch of a professional women’s team — but warned the progress is slipping away.
Stoneberg said she unknowingly shared a locker room all season with a biological male and that when teammates voiced concerns, WHAM leaders dismissed them, deferring to USA Hockey and Minnesota Hockey. Neither, she said, responded.
“I am left to believe they do not care about my safety or the sanctity of the sport,” she wrote. “I can no longer participate in a league that does not care about me.”
Stoneberg emphasized she is “not anti-trans,” affirming personal freedoms but drawing a firm line:
“If you want to say you’re a girl, go ahead. But you can’t force me to say it, or believe it — and you can’t ask me to share my restrooms, my locker rooms or my sheet of ice. That would be infringing on my rights.”
Peril on the ice
Citing physical differences, Stoneberg touched on the potential dangers of biological males playing against females on the ice.
“Men’s hockey is a different sport than women’s hockey, and male bodies are built differently than female bodies. These are factual truths that I would hope we can all agree on. If someone has played men’s hockey their whole life, are we confident they can turn off that switch? Or are they going to check someone in a corner, or lay someone out mid-ice, causing a concussion – or worse? There are documented instances of this occurring in WHAM, and yet the association has taken no action,” stated Stoneberg.
As a mother of two daughters, Stoneberg said her exit is bittersweet but necessary.
“Feel bad for my two daughters, who are growing up in a state that refuses to take a stand,” she wrote. “Feel bad for today’s high school students, who have to decide between competing in the sports they love and standing up for what’s right. Feel bad for future generations of girls and women.”
“This is not political; this is common sense — men do not belong in women’s sports,” she concluded. “How has it come to this?”
Another female hockey player quits
Stoneberg’s letter echoes earlier concerns from her former teammate Kelley Grotting, who told Alpha News earlier this year she also quit WHAM over the same policy. Despite a player petition, the league has stood firm on allowing biological males to participate.
Stoneberg, who plans to keep skating outdoors with her children, ended her letter with a call to action: “Stand up. Speak up. We have to do better for our daughters.”
Jenna Gloeb
Jenna Gloeb is an Edward R. Murrow Award-winning journalist, media producer, public speaker, and screenwriter. Most recently, she worked as a reporter and on-air host for CCX Media. Jenna is a Minnesota native and resides in the Twin Cities with her husband, son, daughter, and two dogs.
