With the US national team, Knight has won ten gold medals at the IIHF World Women's Championship—the most ever by any hockey player—and holds the tournament records for goals, assists and points. She is a four-time Olympic medalist winning gold in 2018 and silver in 2010, 2014, and 2022. In 2023, she became the first player in IIHF World Women's Championship history to surpass 100 career points and was named the inaugural recipient of the IIHF Female Player of the Year award. She has earned multiple tournament MVP honors, including at the 2015 and 2016 World Championships, where she was also named Best Forward and leading scorer.
Knight played college hockey at the University of Wisconsin from 2007 to 2012, where she won two NCAA national championships (2009, 2011), earned the 2011 NCAA Tournament MVP award, and became the program's all-time leader in goals (143) and points (262). Her 143 career goals are the most by any women's or men's player at the university. She was a three-time WCHA Offensive Player of the Year and made the All-American First Team.
In professional hockey, she won the inaugural Isobel Cup with the Boston Pride of the NWHL in 2016 and has been a scoring leader across multiple leagues during her time with Boston Blades and Les Canadiennes de Montréal of the CWHL and the Boston Fleet of the PWHL. In the PWHL's 2024–25 season, she tied for the league lead with 29 points, earning the Points Leader Award, and was named a finalist for Forward of the Year and the Billie Jean King MVP Award. Knight has served as captain for both Team USA (since 2023) and the Boston Fleet (2024–2025), before becoming the first player and captain of the expansion Seattle Torrent in 2025.
Beyond her on-ice achievements, Knight has been a leading advocate for equity and sustainability in women's professional hockey, playing a key role in the formation of the Professional Women's Hockey Players Association and the establishment of the PWHL. She has received three USA Hockey Bob Allen Women's Player of the Year awards (2014, 2022, 2025) and was named to Forbes' 30 Under 30 list in 2018.
Early life
Hilary Atwood Knight[1] was born on July 12, 1989, in Sun Valley, Idaho,[2] to Cynthia and Jim Knight. She has three younger brothers.[3] When Hilary was five, the family moved to Lake Forest, Illinois where she began playing ice hockey and played on boys teams.[4] The family later moved to Hanover, New Hampshire.[5][6]
From an early age, Hilary was determined to reach the Olympics. As a young child, she told her grandmother "I'm going to the Olympics" and wrote a book for a second grade school project about a girl with a magical hockey stick who achieved that dream.[4] She honed her skills by watching NHL players and emulating their hand and footwork, creating difficult challenges and targets in the family garage to improve her puck control.[4]
As a high schooler, Hilary attended Choate Rosemary Hall, a private boarding school in Connecticut with a renowned hockey program.[4] When the national team visited the school in 2005, it strengthened her Olympic aspirations.[7]
Knight attended the University of Wisconsin where she played for the Badgers from 2007 to 2012. Her 143 career goals are the most by any men's or women's player at UW. Knight helped lead the Badgers to two NCAA titles in 2009 and 2011.
During her freshman season from 2007–2008, Knight ranked second on the team in goals (20) and tied for fifth on the team in assists (18). Her points total of 38 was third overall in team scoring. She ranked seventh in the nation in points per game for rookies and game-winning goals. During the season, Knight had 12 multi-point games (ranked third). For the season, Knight led the team in game-winning goals with six. On February 2, Knight recorded a hat trick against WCHA rival North Dakota.
As a sophomore, Knight appeared in 39 games for the Badgers. Knight led the NCAA in goal scoring (45) and points (83). Her 16 power-play goals ranked first in the NCAA. Based on her statistical accomplishments, Knight became the new Badgers record-holder for points, goals, and power-play goals in one season. She recorded 24 multi-point games, 13 multi-goal games, and 11 multi-assist games. On September 27, 2008, versus the Quinnipiac Bobcats, Knight scored a career-high (and school record) five goals in one game. In the process, she recorded her first natural hat trick. Versus WCHA rival North Dakota (on November 16), Knight scored her second hat trick of the season. During the Frozen Four, Knight led the team in scoring with six points (three goals and three assists). From September 26 to October 31, Knight had a nine-game point-scoring streak. She ended the season with a six-game point streak.
On October 2, 2010, Knight notched a five-point game in a 6–0 victory over RPI. She had a natural hat trick to start the game and then had two assists.[8] On January 14 and 16, 2011, Knight produced eight scoring points while leading the Badgers to a two-game sweep of St. Cloud State. Knight accumulated five points on three goals and two assists in the January 14, 10–0 win. On the 16th, she had two more goals and one assist for three points as the Badgers won 6–0. Of her five goals, two were scored on the power play, and one of the goals on January 14 was the game-winner. With the sweep, the Badgers increased their winning streak to 10 straight games. Knight was the top goal scorer in Div. 1 women's hockey this season with 31.[9] On February 5, 2011, Knight scored her 36th goal of the year at 2:46 in the overtime period as Wisconsin defeated the Bemidji State Beavers by a 3–2 mark at the Sanford Center. Bemidji State goalie Alana McElhinney made 43 saves on the night, including 24 in the second period.[10]
On September 25, 2011, Knight scored her fifth career hat trick in a 13–0 defeat of the Lindenwood Lady Lions ice hockey program.[11] In a December 10, 2011, WCHA contest versus Bemidji State, Knight produced four points,[12] giving her a career total of 239. She has now surpassed Meghan Duggan's 238 career points to become the Wisconsin Badgers' all-time leading point scorer. For her efforts, Knight was recognized as the WCHA Player of the Week.[13] On January 28, 2012, the Badgers hosted a record crowd of 12,402 that attended the Kohl Center as Wisconsin swept the Bemidji State Beavers. Knight notched her first goal since December 10 with 7:38 left in the third period. Said goal would stand as the game-winner on Fill the Bowl night.[14] She graduated with 262 career points and is the Badgers all-time leader in goals (143), game-winning goals (30), power-play goals (37), and short-handed goals (8).[15]
Boston Blades (CWHL), 2012–2015
Captain Knight with the Boston Blades, 2014
Selected fourth overall by the Boston Blades in the 2012 CWHL Draft, Knight made an immediate impact in her rookie professional season. During the 2012-13 season, she recorded 32 points in 24 games as the Blades captured both the regular season championship and the Clarkson Cup, becoming only the second American-based team to win the championship.[16] Knight became the first American-born player to win the CWHL's Most Valuable Player Award, while also serving as the leading scorer in the postseason as Boston defeated the Montreal Stars in the championship final.[17] Over her three seasons with the Blades from 2012 to 2015, Knight totaled 29 goals and 33 assists in 41 regular-season games.[18]
Knight helped lead the Blades to a second Clarkson Cup championship in 2015, when Boston finished the regular season with the best record in the CWHL at 15-2-1-6. In the 2015 Clarkson Cup finals against the Montreal Stars, Knight scored a hat trick in Game 2 and finished with five points in the contest, helping Boston secure a commanding series lead.[19] The Blades ultimately won the championship when Janine Weber scored the overtime-winning goal in the decisive game, with Knight earning First Star honors in the final match.[20] During her time with the Blades, Knight also made history as the first female skater (non-goaltender) to practice with an NHL team when she trained with the Anaheim Ducks during the 2014-15 season.[21]
Boston Pride (NWHL), 2015–2018
On September 25, 2015, Knight moved to the Boston Pride of the National Women's Hockey League (NWHL), joining the newly formed professional league in its inaugural season.[22] In her first game with the Boston Pride, she scored the team's first goal and went on to score a second goal in the same game.[23] Knight's offensive prowess continued throughout the season as she led the league in scoring, becoming the NWHL's first-ever scoring champion and establishing herself as one of the league's premier players.
In the playoffs, Knight scored the overtime-winning goal in Game 1 of the 2016 Isobel Cup finals[24]. Boston went on to capture the inaugural Isobel Cup, with Knight playing a central role in bringing the first professional championship to the franchise.[25]
Knight continued to showcase her talents in the league's All-Star festivities. In February 2017, representing Team Kessel at the 2nd NWHL All-Star Game, she found the back of the net once again, demonstrating her consistent ability to perform on the league's biggest stages.[26]
During her time with the Pride, Knight served as a prominent face of the NWHL, helping to raise the profile of women's professional hockey through both her on-ice performance and her advocacy for the league.[27]
Les Canadiennes de Montreal (CWHL), 2018–2019
On March 8, 2018, Les Canadiennes de Montreal announced that Knight would be joining the team in time for the 2018 CWHL playoff run, making her the first 2018 USA Olympian to sign with a professional team following the Americans' gold medal victory in PyeongChang.[28] Knight's signing with Les Canadiennes was significant as it saw her depart the NWHL for the CWHL, stating that when she plays somewhere, she views it as endorsing that league and what they provide to players, fans, and the game's development.[29]
Knight returned to Les Canadiennes for the full 2018-19 CWHL season, joining a roster that would reunite her with Marie-Philip Poulin, marking the first time in their careers that the two rivals-turned-teammates would play together.[30] In the playoffs, Knight was a dominant force. Knight and Jill Saulnier had impressive postseason showings, driving offense for Les Canadiennes throughout their playoff run.[31] Les Canadiennes advanced to the 2019 Clarkson Cup final to face the Calgary Inferno, though they played without captain Marie-Philip Poulin, who was sidelined with a lower-body injury sustained in the final regular-season game.[32] In the championship game on March 24, 2019, Knight made an exceptional pass during a five-on-three power play in the second period, delivering a backwards, between-the-legs no-look pass to Ann-Sophie Bettez for Montreal's second goal of the game.[33] Montreal lost to Calgary 5-2. It was the third time in four years that the two teams had met in the Canadian Women's Hockey League final.[32]
Professional Women's Hockey Players Association (PWHPA), 2019–2023
Knight in Toronto for the "Dream Gap Tour", 2019
On May 2, 2019, over 200 women's hockey players announced via coordinated social media posts that they would boycott any professional league in North America for the 2019-20 season. [34] The women behind the #ForTheGame movement included Knight, Marie-Philip Poulin, Amanda Kessel, Sarah Nurse, Lee Stecklein, Rebecca Johnston, Shannon Szabados, Natalie Spooner and Noora Räty. The players stated they were "coming together, not just as individual players, but as one collective voice to help navigate the future" of women's professional hockey.[35]
On May 20, 2019, the players formed the Professional Women's Hockey Players Association (PWHPA) as a non-profit organization.[36][37][38] Knight was instrumental, along with her fellow players, in the creation of the PWHPA and served as a staunch advocate for having one professional North American women's hockey league.[39]
The PWHPA organized the "Dream Gap Tour" that toured several cities in Canada and the United States, featuring community involvement events and exhibition games where the top players in the sport competed. PWHPA The first showcase was held in Toronto from September 21 to 22, 2019, with players divided into teams captained by Rebecca Johnston, Brianne Jenner, Liz Knox, and Marie-Philip Poulin. [40]
In May 2022, the PWHPA signed a letter of intent with Billie Jean King Enterprises and the Mark Walter Group to explore launching a professional league.[41] In February 2023, the PWHPA organized a formal union—the PWHLPA—to represent players and negotiate a collective bargaining agreement for the new league, and in June the Mark Walter Group acquired the Premier Hockey Federation.[42] The PWHPA's bargaining committee—consisting of Kendall Coyne Schofield, Brianne Jenner, Hilary Knight, Liz Knox and Sarah Nurse—negotiated with the league's new owners for five months before the CBA was ratified in July 2023.[43] Knight serves on the executive committee for the PWHL players' union.[44]
Boston Fleet (PWHL), 2023–2025
Knight with PWHL Boston in March 2024
Knight served as the inaugural captain of PWHL Boston (later rebranded as Boston Fleet) from the league's founding in 2023 through the 2024-25 season. Knight signed with PWHL Boston on September 7, 2023, as one of the first players in the new league, and was named the team's inaugural captain on January 2, 2024.[45][46] During the team's first season, Knight struggled with an ankle injury which showed on the stat sheet with six goals and five assists in 24 games, but was critical in building the team's foundation[47] as Boston made a strong playoff run. Knight led the team to the Walter Cup Finals in its first season PWHL,[48] though they ultimately fell to the Minnesota Frost in Game 5 of the championship series.[49]
Knight rebounded strongly in the 2024-25 season, demonstrating her elite abilities despite being one of the league's oldest players at age 35. She recorded 15 goals and 14 assists during the regular season, with her 29 points tying Sarah Fillier for the league lead as she claimed the Hilary Knight, Sarah Fillier, and Marie-philip Poulin Earn First Two PWHL Awards of the 2024-25 Season award and was one of three players to be named a finalist for PWHL Forward of the Year.[50][51]
Knight led PWHL forwards in ice time, averaging nearly 22 minutes per game while playing injury-free after addressing an ankle issue from the previous season.[52] Knight became the first PHWL player to score a hat trick on March 5 during a record-tying four-point performance.[53] She ranked among the season's most productive players in the league with seven multi-point games, placing her in a three-way tie for third in that category, and she was one of four players to achieve a four-point performance during the season.[54]
Knight's time with Boston came to a surprising end when the Fleet left her unprotected during the PWHL expansion process, instead protecting goaltender Aerin Frankel, defender Megan Keller, and forward Alina Müller.[55]
Seattle Torrent (PWHL), 2025–
Knight during Seattle Torrent's inaugural home game at Climate Pledge Arena, November 2025
During the league's expansion ahead of the 2025–26 season, Knight signed a one-year contract with the Seattle Torrent on June 4, 2025, becoming the first player to join the new team.[56][57] On November 14, 2025, Knight was named the franchise's first captain, having previously captained the Boston Fleet during the PWHL's first two seasons.[58]
As captain, Knight made her home debut for the Torrent on November 28, 2025, in front of a record-breaking 16,014 fans at Climate Pledge Arena, which established multiple benchmarks: the largest crowd for a women's hockey game in a U.S. arena, surpassing the previous U.S. professional women's hockey record of 14,288, and the highest-attended primary home venue game in PWHL history.[59][60] Knight reflected on the significance of the moment, stating "There's something about Seattle that is just so special... A dream come true, pinch me kind of moment.".[61] In the team's second home game and down a goal to the New York Sirens in the third quarter, Knight assisted and then scored to win 2-1 within the final two minutes of the game. It marked the Torrent's first win of the season. She was named first star of the game with fellow goalscorer Alex Carpenter and goaltender Hannah Murphy earning second and third respectively.[62]
International
Knight started playing for the United States national team as a teenager. In November 2006, she was the youngest player on on Team USA at 2006 4 Nations Cup at 17 years old.[63] She was also the youngest youngest player on the United States squad competing at the 2007 IIHF World Women's Championship and helped the team win silver at the tournament. The same year, she also played for the under-22 national team.[64]
Knight became a key contributor to Team USA's international success over the following years. At the 2011 IIHF Women's World Championship, she scored the game-winning goal at 7:48 of overtime as the United States defeated Canada 3–2 at Hallenstadion to capture its third consecutive world title.[65]
During the U.S.' first game of the 2011 IIHF Eight Nations Tournament, Knight scored a hat trick in a 12-0 victory over Russia.[66] In the opening match of the 2012 IIHF World Women's Championships, Knight scored two goals in a 9–2 dominant win over Canada.[67]
Hilary Knight playing for Team USA, October 2017
Knight represented the United States at the 2023 IIHF Women's World Championship where she recorded eight goals and four assists in seven games. During the championship game she recorded a hat trick to help lead USA to a gold medal. With 12 points during the tournament, she became the first player in IIHF World Women's Championship history to surpass 100 career points. The win also gave Knight nine career gold medals, tying Danielle Goyette for most all time. It was also her 13th career medal, tying Hayley Wickenheiser for the most medals all time.[68]
Knight took a year (2009–2010) off from studying at the University of Wisconsin to join Team USA for the Olympics. At 20 years and 217 days of age, she was the youngest member of either the men's or women's U.S. Olympic teams.[64] Knight was captain of the United States team at the 2010 Olympics.[69] She recorded 7 assists and 1 goal, with the lone goal coming against Finland. She finished the tournament with 8 points and earned a silver medal.
2014 Sochi
Knight played a prominent role in the 2014 tournament, tied for the Team USA lead in points with 6 and scoring the team's first goal of the Games. She finished with 3 goals and 3 assists across the tournament and was named to the Media All-Star team in recognition of her outstanding performance.[70] Team USA fell to Canada in the gold medal game and earned a silver medal, marking Knight's second consecutive Olympic silver.[71]
2018 Pyeongchang
The 2018 Olympics proved to be a breakthrough for Knight and Team USA. In a highly anticipated gold medal rematch against Canada, Knight gave the United States a 1-0 lead with a power-play goal late in the first period by redirecting a shot OlympicsTeam USA Hockey from Sidney Morin.[72] Knight finished the tournament with two goals and one assist NBC Olympics as the United States defeated Canada 3–2 in a dramatic shootout, ending a 20-year gold medal drought and capturing the first Olympic gold for American women's hockey since the inaugural tournament at Nagano 1998 Olympics.[73][74] It was Knight's first Olympic gold medal after two previous silver medal finishes.[75]
2022 Beijing
On January 2, 2022, Knight was named to Team USA's roster for the 2022 Winter Olympics.[76] She became the fourth American woman in USA Hockey history to be named to four Olympic teams The Hockey WritersCBS Sports, alongside Jenny Potter, Angela Ruggiero, and Julie Chu.[77]
Knight led Team USA in scoring with six goals and three assists for nine points in seven games NBC OlympicsUsahockeymagazine, setting personal highs for goals and points in an Olympic tournament.[78][79] During the tournament, Knight set a new U.S. women's record by playing in her 22nd Olympic game The Hockey Writers and moved into second place for most career Olympic goals among American women with 12 The Hockey Writers.[80]
In the gold medal game against Canada, Knight scored a shorthanded goal in the second period to cut Canada's lead to 3–1, but the United States fell 3–2, ending their bid to defend their Olympic title CBC Sports.[81][82] Knight earned her third Olympic silver medal and subsequently earned the Bob Allen Women's Player of the Year Award.[83]
In popular culture
Knight is widely known the face of women's hockey in the United States, a title she acknowledges as not taking lightly, stating she hopes to be remembered for both her on-ice legacy and her work off the ice.[84] In 2014, she was featured in ESPN The Magazine's The Body Issue, posing in her hockey skates.[85] Knight discussed the experience, stating she had initially been self-conscious about her athletic build and muscular arms, but the opportunity helped her embrace body confidence and femininity as a strong female athlete.[86]
After winning gold at the 2018 Olympics, Knight traveled across the country on a media tour, making appearances on shows like The Ellen DeGeneres Show and The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon.[87][88] On March 3, 2018, she made a guest appearance on the Weekend Update segment of Saturday Night Live.[89][90] In 2019, Knight was featured in an episode of "Change of Pace", a TV Mini Series by Red Bull about female athletes who want to make a positive impact on the future of women's sports.[91][92]
In 2019, Knight worked as a guest analyst for NBC during the NHL playoffs.[84] Knight joined ESPN's broadcast team in 2021, where she serves as an analyst for select NHL season games.[93] She was among several analysts hired by ESPN, joining Chris Chelios, Ray Ferraro, Brian Boucher, Ryan Callahan, Cassie Campbell-Pascall, Rick DiPietro, A.J. Mleczko, and Kevin Weekes as part of the network's hockey coverage team.[94]
Knight has been the subject of many documentaries, interviews and media profiles over the course of her career, and has been featured by Team USA and ESPN in documentaries.[95] In 2011, the city of Sun Valley, Idaho, declared May 19, 2011 Hilary Knight Day.[96]
Endorsements and sponsorships
Knight has secured sponsorship deals with major brands including Nike and Red Bull, two of her biggest sponsors, and uses Bauer Hockey as the supplier for her skates, helmet, gloves and stick.[97] She has also had endorsement partnerships with Visa, GoPro, and Chipotle.[98] She is also sponsored by EA Sports and beginning in 2022 is featured as a playable player in its NHL video game.[99][100]
In September 2016, Knight partnered with Bauer Hockey and joined the company's roster of elite athletes, agreeing to exclusively wear Bauer equipment, provide insight to future product development, and be featured in Bauer advertising campaigns.[101] In October 2017, Bauer launched a campaign titled "The Women's Movement Never Stops" featuring Knight and Marie-Philip Poulin to raise awareness for women's hockey and inspire young girls to try the sport.[102]
Knight has acknowledged the evolution of her endorsement opportunities, recalling early struggles as a professional athlete when she had to give lessons for financial viability and eat peanut butter and jelly sandwiches while training for the Olympics.[103] As her profile grew, brands became eager to partner with her, and Knight became selective about which sponsorships to accept.[103] She has stated that she has pursued many partnerships not only for herself but because she understood the value of the visibility those companies or brands would provide to the sport of hockey.[98]
Personal life
Knight is a member of the queer community.[104] For much of her career, she struggled with her identity and was hesitant to come out publicly, citing fear and a belief that it wasn't necessarily her responsibility. However, she ultimately decided to share her story to provide visibility for underrepresented communities.[105] Knight and USA speed skater Brittany Bowe began dating in December 2022.[106] The two athletes first met and got to know each other at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, where they would take masked evening walks together during the strict COVID-19 protocols—socially distanced encounters that Knight later described as "fully masked" and "not romantic at all, but cute." Knight credits her relationship with Bowe as helping her find the strength to eventually come out publicly. In 2024, the couple purchased a home together, where they enjoy training together, working in their backyard, and playing pickleball. Knight has noted that both being elite athletes helps them understand what the other may need, whether that's support or space.[105]
In addition to her playing career, Knight has had various leadership roles within women's hockey. After the founding of the Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL) in 2023, she was named to the executive committee of the league's labor union, the PWHL Players Association; she was voted the union's player representative for PWHL Boston.[107]
Hilary grew up in a skiing family. Her cousin is three-time Olympic alpine skier Chip Knight.[108]
↑Aykroyd, Lucas. "Knight Named MVP". IIHF 2015 Ice Hockey Women's World Championship. Archived from the original on February 22, 2019. Retrieved April 24, 2015.
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