Pro Hockey’s First Couple

The difficulties of a long-distance relationship made the bond between Shaver and Kunin grow stronger. Lauren Page

How do two professional hockey players on separate teams make a romance work? For Luke Kunin x’19 and Sophia Shaver ’19, the difficulties of a long-distance relationship made their bond stronger.

The two met in the summer of 2015, when Kunin, from suburban Saint Louis, and Shaver, from suburban Minneapolis, arrived at UW–Madison. Housed in Merit Hall, they started hanging out and quickly became friends. She was drawn to his goofy, easygoing nature. He liked her kind and caring manner. The friendship deepened in the fall, when he asked her out on their first proper date. “I finally figured it out and took her someplace nice — the Tornado Room,” Luke says.

Their relationship blossomed alongside their success on the ice. In 2016–17, Luke captained the UW men’s team — an unusual accomplishment for a sophomore. After that season, he turned pro, splitting time between the Minnesota Wild and their minor league affiliate in Iowa.

Sophia stayed at Wisconsin two more years, captaining the women’s team her senior year, 2018–19, and scoring the winning goal in the NCAA championship final. After graduating with a major in real estate and urban land economics, she turned pro, making her and Luke the only couple in professional hockey.

Sophia played four seasons with the Professional Women’s Hockey Players Association (PWHPA) and this last year with the Minnesota team of the newly formed Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL).

Luke was traded to the Nashville Predators in 2020. Sophia was able to join him for a period when the Olympic schedule put the PWHPA season on hold. But when she resumed her career and he got traded to the San Jose Sharks in 2022, it was back to FaceTime calls and sporadic visits. “It’s not easy,” Luke says, “but if you get through it, it makes your relationship stronger.”

After eight years of dating, they got married in July 2023. Going into the 2023–24 season with the Minnesota PWHL team, Sophia knew it would be her last. So it was extra special when her team won the season championship and Luke was able to be there to watch in person.

In June 2024, Sophia announced her retirement, and two weeks later Luke signed a one-year, $2.75 million contract with the Sharks. “I’m ready to settle down, live in the same area, and start a family,” Sophia says.

They’ll spend the season together in San Jose and eventually settle in Minnesota, where they recently bought a home — so they can live in the same city at last.

Published in the Spring 2025 issue