Hilary Knight selected as captain of US women's Olympic hockey team
- - Hilary Knight selected as captain of US women's Olympic hockey team
Steve Gardner, USA TODAY February 2, 2026 at 8:30 PM
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As if there were any doubt, Hilary Knight has officially been named the captain of the U.S. women's Olympic hockey team that will compete for gold at the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Games.
Knight, who will be competing in her fifth Olympics, has been captain of the U.S. team since the 2023 IIHF Women’s World Championship.
"Whenever we sign up to play for Team USA, it's to win a gold medal, and that mindset hasn't changed," Knight, considered one of the greatest players ever in the women's game, said at the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic media summit in October.
1 / 28USA Hockey veteran Hilary Knight heads to Milan‑Cortina as team leaderHockey player Hilary Knight of the United States poses for a photo during a Team USA Photo Shoot at Sunset Glenoaks Studios on May 20, 2025 in Sun Valley, Calif. Knight has won NCAA, Olympic and World championships.
Knight had five goals to lead the United States to a four-game sweep of archrival Canada last fall. Although Canada is the defending Olympic champion in women's hockey, Team USA will be the favorite in Italy after winning two of the past three world championships and outscoring Canada 24-7 in the Rivalry Series.
Along with Knight as captain, USA Hockey also announced on Monday, Feb. 2, that forward Alex Carpenter and defender Megan Keller will be alternate captains. Both will be competing in their third Olympics.
The Americans play their Olympic opener on Thursday, Feb. 5, against Czechia at Milano Rho Hockey Arena.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Hilary Knight to captain US women's Olympic hockey team in Milan
Source: “AOL Sports”
