Hilary Knight, or “Captain America” and she’s known at the 2026 Winter Olympics, has already made history with her appearance at the Games in Italy, but even more is on the line.
The 36-year-old, who grew up in the northern Chicago suburb of Lake Forest and headlines the U.S. women’s hockey roster, set a U.S. women’s hockey record for most Winter Games appearances after winning gold in 2018 and three silver medals.
If she wins another medal in 2026, she’ll hold the record for the most Olympic medals women in USA women’s hockey.
For Knight, the only medal she’s thinking about now is Gold.
Known for helping the U.S. to gold in 2018 following a 20-year battle with their Canadian rivals, Knight is widely considered Team USA’s “hockey GOAT.” Though she played a pivotal role in the team’s 2022 silver medal win against Canada, Knight called it “heartbreaking.”
Now, 2026 marks a pivotal moment as Knight has previously announced these Games will be her last — and her final shot at scoring that coveted gold. Her teammates, however, aren’t so convinced.
“I’ll believe Hilary’s done when I see it. I don’t believe her,” Veteran U.S. defender Lee Stecklein said.
In addition to her gold medal and four silvers, Knight has 10 world championship gold medals and holds the world tournament record for goals, assists and points.
“Her ability to just naturally show up in big moments is unlike anything I’ve ever seen,” former U.S. Olympian Meghan Duggan said.
Heading into the 2026 Games, Knight has not lost her scoring touch.
Last season in Boston, she finished tied for the PWHL lead with 29 points. This season in Seattle, she has two goals and nine points in 13 games.
In her first appearance at the 2026 Games, she was among four players to score goals as the U.S. beat Czechia 5-1. That lifted Knight to 13 Olympic goals scored in her career.
The current record for most Olympic goals sits at 14 and is held by Natalie Darwitz and Katie King.
Knight said her hockey career began with a nudge from someone her family met when they first moved to Illinois when she was a child.
“George Hughes, yeah, he taught me how to skate,” she told NBC.
The Hughes family suggested to Knight’s mother that they “get all of us kids on skates in anticipation of playing hockey to meet other kids in the community.
“I loved ice hockey the moment I started playing, at the age of 5 or 6,” Knight said. “I right away wanted to participate in the Olympic Games, even though women’s ice hockey was not there yet. I was always wanting more. I would go to bed with my kit on, really excited about training the next day. I slept with pucks under my pillow because I was convinced it would bring me luck. For me, there was nothing else, nothing as dynamic or as quick, nothing that resembles what you feel skating on the rink with the wind in your hair.”
Though she’s already solidified herself as a hockey legend, Knight entered the 2026 Games with another goal to prove: a golden one.
Though she has found peace in already calling these her last Olympics, she continues dropping hints to suggest a potential change of mind.
“Unless you convince me otherwise,” Knight said in November when asked if she might get the itch again. “Yeah, maybe. We’ll see.”
Here’s how you can watch her compete in Italy:
| DATE | GAME | STREAM |
| Thursday, Feb. 5, 10:40 a.m.-1:10 p.m. ET | USA vs. Czechia (Women’s Group A) | Peacock, NBCOlympics.com |
| Saturday, Feb. 7, 10:40 a.m.-1 p.m. ET | USA vs. Finland (Women’s Group A) | Peacock, NBCOlympics.com |
| Monday, Feb. 9, 2:40 p.m. ET-5 p.m. ET | Switzerland vs. USA (Women’s Group A) | Peacock, NBCOlympics.com |
| Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2:10 p.m. ET-4:30 p.m. ET | Canada vs. USA (Women’s Group A) | Peacock, NBCOlympics.com |
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