At first Hillary Knight didn’t know what to think. It was 2024 and his longtime agent asked an uncomfortable question about his future.
“I was kind of taken aback,” says Knight. “Seriously, you’re asking me this?”
Just think about it, his agent said.
“I sat on it for months,” recalls Knight. “And then I got to the point where I said OK, let’s talk about it more. Let’s dig deeper into it.”
In her 20 years with the national team, Knight has become the most decorated player in US women’s hockey history. And as she approached her 36th birthday last summer, she was as effective as ever.
She was named IIHF Female Player of the Year in 2023. As captain of the Boston Fleet, Knight scored a PWHL-leading 29 points (15 goals, 14 assists) in 30 games. And in April, he led Team USA with nine points and won his record 10th gold medal at the World Championships – a tournament in which he set career records for most goals (67), assists (53) and points (120).
All the while, she remained a face of the sport in the United States and one of the country’s strongest players ever.
“She’s an icon,” says her 21-year-old American teammate Tessa Jenneke. “She essentially put women’s hockey on hold her entire career.”
“Ask anyone, ‘Over the last 20 years of American hockey, if I said goal scoring, who would come to mind?'” said longtime teammate and Hockey Hall of Famer Meghan Duggan. “They will answer to Hilary Knight. Scoring goals is the hardest thing in our game, it’s why we all play. She makes it look so effortless, even when it doesn’t feel effortless. She works hard at her craft, she has dedicated her life to it. And she keeps performing well time and time again.”
Knight is set to compete in her fifth Olympic Games this February, the most for any American male or female hockey player. If Team USA reaches the podium, Knight will tie Jenna Hayford and Hayley Wickenheiser for an Olympic-record five hockey medals. And his agent wanted to know: Should he tell the world this would be his last?
Knight, after reflection, decided to announce in May that Milan–Cortina would be her final Olympic Games – although she was not retiring from the sport.
Knight said, “Everyone has an expiration date and you don’t know what that date is. To have the opportunity to control that? I can appreciate things like that.” “People don’t need to keep asking, ‘Is this your last?’ I’ve already thought about the conversation, I’ve already sat down with it. I’m really at peace.”
That could lead to Independence Night and a special tournament for Team USA.
Hockey Hall of Famer Cammi Granato said, “I’m so glad he got a chance to call that his legacy.” “It’s incredible to see her playing in her 5th Olympics. She leads that team with all her experience. And when you know it’s probably her last Olympics, she’ll give it all up. She understands how to win. It’s a rare thing for any athlete to be able to go out on her own terms, and it shows her dedication to the game and her ability to always score in the biggest moments.”
when his family Moving from the West Coast to Illinois when she was 5, Knight’s mother signed her and her three brothers up for hockey to make friends. Knight was a natural. She looked for any opportunity to play and that often meant playing with boys.
Knight’s childhood idol was Granato, who ignited the next generation by captaining Team USA to a gold medal in the inaugural Olympic women’s hockey tournament in 1998. Knight and Granato fit a similar profile: both pure goal scorers who made a living on the power play. When Knight joined the national team as a teenager in 2006, he chose to wear number 21 – Granato’s number. This was a natural passing of the torch.
“In middle school, they asked us to make a dream book,” Knight said. “I had a hockey player who won a gold medal at the Olympics. I think I had the ’98 kit. That was the goal.”
By high school, Knight was one of the top players in the country. “I was a freshman during his visit to Wisconsin,” Duggan recalled. “The coaches told us we had this big recruit, did everything we could to convince him. We rolled out the red carpet. It was one of the most memorable recruiting trips ever.”
It didn’t take long for Knight to create his own identity. During Knight’s sophomore year the Badgers played Dartmouth in the NCAA quarterfinals. He missed a shot from the point in the second period.
“He broke the net before the goalie could move,” recalled Wisconsin coach Mark Johnson. “I remember looking at our bench, but then there was the reaction on the Dartmouth bench. They were all surprised, too.”
Johnson coached Team USA at Knight’s first Olympics in Vancouver in 2010. Team USA went 4–0 before losing to Canada in the gold medal game. The Americans lost to the Canadians again in 2014 before winning their first gold medal in 2018 since the 1998 team.
Along the way, Knight inspired a new generation. Jenneke and Harvey are among the current U.S. team members who have childhood photos of themselves with Knight.
Harvey said, “I remember wanting to be like him and hopefully I would get there.” “I’m very glad she’s still doing it because she’s exactly the kind of person you want in that position.”
Knight left Wisconsin in 2012 as the program’s all-time leader in goals (143) for men or women. She began playing in the Canadian Women’s Hockey League, where resources were less compared to college hockey experience. His locker was two milk crates stacked on top of each other in the bathroom of a community rink.
“Thinking now, the options available were semi-pro,” Knights said. “But that’s all we had, so that’s what we had to do.”
Johnson said that what stands out to him most about Knight’s career is his commitment and professionalism, often as a self-starter outside of his tenure with the national team.
Duggan said, “It was always a question of what would be the best environment? Buying in and funding all of your training and recovery modalities. Just doing it all on your own with this lack of professional support and team.” “And [Knight] She was always one of the best at maximizing whatever she could to remain elite. That meant going to wherever he needed to get the best recovery from an injury or identifying the right shooting coach. With limited resources, this is how you can reach the level she has reached.”
Knight has never shied away from his role as the face of the game. He signed endorsement deals with Red Bull, Nike, Visa, GoPro, and Chobani. He Featured for ESPN The Body Issue,
Knight said, “I’m really aware of that, especially when you’re developing a sport especially in America where hockey is an elite sport, you want it to be at the forefront. You want it to be front and center.” “You’ve experienced this amazing game and you want to share it with everybody. But as much as I put myself out there, I want my game to be seen just as much. And so that’s been a personal goal. Hopefully the emphasis will continue to be on that level of competition and that competitor when it comes to legacy.”
Knight’s legacy is This is naturally linked to the fight for equality. Knight and current teammate Kendall Coyne Schofield were part of the leadership group that nearly boycotted the world championships in 2017 as they pushed USA Hockey for a new contract. The result was a landmark deal that addressed more equitable treatment for girls and women’s programming. They reached agreement in time for Worlds, where they won another gold medal. Since the launch of the PWHL in 2024, much progress has been made in the players’ work toward creating a permanent professional league.
Knight is the captain of the expansion Seattle Torrents in their inaugural season; Their first game at Climate Pledge Arena drew a crowd of 16,014 – a new American attendance record.
Knight said, “We’re a group of really high-performing minds, stubborn individuals, and we won’t settle for less than what we think the game deserves.” “Granted the PWHL is a starting point in the right direction, but it’s incredible to see the structure and facilities behind us to support us at that level. I think we’ll see the game grow in a way we’ve never seen before. There’s more programming, more exposure levels coming.”
Young players like Harvey and Jenneke recognize how much work players like Knight and Coyne Schofield (and Duggan and Granato before them) have done.
“They use the platform they have to continually push the game forward so we’re not accepting the bottom line,” Jenneke said. “But they’re still struggling with it today. Their days are full. As little girls sometimes it slips our mind how much they’ve done. It’s something we can pass on to the next generation when they’re done.”
Continuity of dominance is most important to Granato when considering Knight’s career.
Knight has battled injuries throughout his career, including a serious foot injury during the inaugural 2024 PWHL season. But he has also found ways to adapt.
“The game is much more efficient and much faster,” Knight said. “I mean I look back at 2010 and it’s weird to see the comparisons. Even if you’re just watching a video, it’s a completely different game. Things are happening really fast and it’s exciting.”
In his 36-season season, Knight has worked on becoming more efficient in his skating and identifying cool ice. She spent part of this summer training with her longtime partner speedskater Brittany Bowe outside the Olympic Oval in Utah. The attention to detail on mechanics and data points was eye-opening, Knight said.
The U.S. women enter February’s Olympics as favorites, ranked No. 1 by the IIHF and have defeated Canada (4–0–0) in the rivalry series, and outscored the Canadians 24–7. While Knight says this is her last Olympics, she will continue playing in the PWHL and aspires to make the next World Championship team. After that he has no concrete plans.
“I’m really proud of a lot of things,” Knight said. “Obviously I know I’m not the only person doing these things, and so I’m really proud to be a part of that group and now relevant enough to make an impact.”
