Built on Growth: How Kim Abrahams is Shaping Eden Prairie Hockey One Player at a Time
This post is part of a four‑part series highlighting some of the Eden Prairie girls’ hockey assistant coaches — the women shaping the next generation of players through leadership, connection, and community.
Read the full series:
For the next installment of my Eden Prairie Girls Hockey coaching series, I had the chance to sit down with Assistant Coach Kim Abrahams—a coach whose journey spans Long Island, Lake Placid, California, Connecticut, and now Minnesota. Her story is one of intentional growth, curiosity, and a lifelong commitment to helping athletes reach their potential.
Kim brings a rare blend of high-level playing experience, national coaching exposure, and even a background in neuroscience to the EP bench. Our conversation was full of insight, warmth, and a genuine passion for the game.
“Growth is the header.”
When asked what she hopes every player takes away from a season with her, Kim didn’t hesitate.
“Growth,” she said.
But not just in one dimension. She hopes her players grow in:
- their knowledge of the game
- their love of the game
- their skill and execution
- and their pursuit of whatever hockey dreams they hold—whether that’s the PWHL or college hockey
Her coaching philosophy is rooted in intentionality. She believes in pausing for teachable moments, creating a safe space to fail, and reinforcing the idea that mistakes are part of the process.
“They’re in this epic moment where the world is about to open to them.”
Helping them chase their passions—on and off the ice—is one of her favorite parts of coaching at this level.
Coaching in the State of Hockey
Kim moved to Minnesota with one purpose: to make coaching a bigger part of her life.
Now, as an assistant coach working with Eden Prairie’s forwards and one of the team’s power play units, she’s exactly where she wants to be.
“To coach high school hockey in Minnesota is a privilege.”
Coaching in the Lake Conference—one of the toughest girls’ conferences in the state—makes it even more special. After years as a head coach elsewhere, Kim intentionally stepped into an assistant role this season. She wanted to be in the Lake Conference and also build experience that could one day translate to a college coaching opportunity.
For now, though, she’s fully invested in Eden Prairie.
A Coast-to-Coast Coaching Education
Kim’s coaching journey has taken her through New York, California, Connecticut, and Minnesota. Each stop added something new to her coaching toolbox.
She laughed as she recalled a coaching clinic where a presenter said all great coaches follow the CASE method: “Collect And Steal Everything.”
And she has.
From East Coast intensity to West Coast travel culture to Minnesota’s community-based model, Kim has absorbed it all—drills, philosophies, strategies, and perspectives. The result is a coach who sees the game through a wide, well-rounded lens.
USA Hockey Development Camps: A Different View of Talent
Earlier in her career, Kim coached and evaluated at USA Hockey development camps. Those experiences reshaped how she sees player development.
She learned that talent isn’t a checklist.
Some elite players had incredible hockey IQ and compete level but lacked certain technical skills. Others excelled in areas that didn’t always show up in traditional evaluations.
Being surrounded by college and Olympic-level coaches also expanded her vision.
“We might be looking at the same play, but they were seeing something different.”
That perspective continues to influence how she evaluates and develops players today.
The NHLCA Female Coaches Program: “A game changer.”
Kim is now in her fourth year with the NHL Coaches Association’s Female Coaches Program, a resource she describes as transformative.
The program meets monthly throughout the season, covering everything from X’s and O’s to culture-building, video analysis, communication, and leadership. Coaches from around the world participate—youth, college, pro, and everything in between.
“It’s a privilege to learn from the best minds in the game.”
She credits program director Lindsay Pennal for building something truly impactful for women in coaching.
Growing Up in the Game: Boys Hockey, Girls Hockey, and Lake Placid
Kim’s playing career is a story in itself.
She grew up dual-rostered on boys and girls teams—common at the time because girls’ programs were still developing. Later, she attended the National Sports Academy in Lake Placid, practicing daily on the historic 1980 Olympic ice.
Her coaches treated her as a player first, not “a girl on the boys’ team,” and that shaped her coaching philosophy today.
“When someone’s on the ice, they’re a player.”
That mindset guides how she teaches, challenges, and supports her athletes.
Where Neuroscience Meets Hockey
Outside of coaching, Kim works in the medical field—and her background in physical therapy and neuroscience has become a surprising asset behind the bench.
Understanding how the brain learns, processes information, and acquires new skills has changed the way she trains players. She’s especially fascinated by:
- how athletes scan the ice
- how decision-making develops
- how repetition and context shape learning
- how practice design affects performance
She’s even been diving into work recommended by NHL coach Mike Sullivan, who is known for integrating neuroscience into skill development.
It’s a unique blend of science and sport—and it shows in the way she talks about teaching the game.
A Bucket List Adventure: The NHL Arena Tour
To end our conversation, Kim shared one of the most joyful parts of her hockey life: a 30-game NHL arena tour she completed.
What started as a bucket list idea turned into a full-blown adventure—complete with behind-the-scenes tours, media interviews, and a blog that eventually became a memoir.
They traveled from city to city, often arriving a day early to avoid weather delays, which meant they also ended up sightseeing across North America. One of her biggest takeaways from this experience, above and beyond the enjoyment of seeing the hockey arenas and how each city and state were reflected in the team and arena, was to follow your dreams and experience your bucket list items now.
“Live your dreams.”
It’s the message she signs in every copy of her book.
Final Thoughts
Talking with Kim Abrahams felt like talking with someone who sees the game—and people—with remarkable clarity. She’s intentional, curious, and deeply committed to helping young athletes grow not just as players, but as humans.
Eden Prairie is lucky to have her behind the bench.
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